FirstTale
by Sokin
Summary: Frisk, the eighth human to fall into the kingdom of monsters, is instead the first. How does life underground go for them now, and more importantly, how do they keep it together when the other humans start arriving?
1. Fallen Demon

**Hello newcomers and followers alike, and welcome to FirstTale. This is the first story I've ever actually written and published. As of right now I'm in the process of rewriting the first couple chapters to include more detail and better writing, as well as making some edits to later chapters before writing a new one. Please bear with me while this is ongoing, and I hope you enjoy the more polished work!**

 **If you have anything you want to say, leave a review. I reply to most of them in the next new chapter. I love getting feedback on my work.**

* * *

 _Demon. Abomination. Mistake. They had many names given to them in their village. They hated them, the ones that gave them those names. The cruel aunt who 'cared' for them by beating them senseless time and again. The preacher who said they killed their parents and many others in the village just by being born. Mostly though, they hated themselves. Their deep red eyes which were signs of possession. Their complexion, too light for some and too dark for others. Their hair, which they had been forced to cut on their own or risk being lost under the shaggy locks. Everything about them, they hated._

 _That night had been the last straw. With no where to go and no one to help them, they decided that if the world was going to turn its back on them, they would turn their back on the world. They would run. Run away and never return. To where was another hurdle all together, yet once they set eyes on the mountain looming in the distance, they knew._

 _Mount Ebott. The place of no return._

 _Oh, they knew the tales, everyone did. Staying at the base of the mountain was fine, but try to climb it and you'd never be heard from again. Everyone knew someone's best friend's cousin that tried to climb it and didn't return, or heard from a reliable source that a group of campers wanted to camp up it, only for their abandoned campsite to be found months later. Despite all this, no one actually knew first hand someone that disappeared. That never stopped the rumors._

 _The forest around the mountain was relatively peaceful and quiet, allowing them some rest before the rays of the late morning sun found their way through the canopy and woke them. The hard dirt was about as comfortable as the floor of the house they lived in, meaning they were well versed in sleeping on it. They knew no one would look for them as they continued, keeping their eyes on the mountain peak through the trees. In fact, they thought, people might rejoice at their vanishing._

 _Their stomach rumbled as they reached the mountain proper, but they paid it no mind. It wasn't the first time they'd gone a day without eating, though a grim thought that it might be the last time floated through their head. To keep such thoughts at bay, they concentrated on scaling the overgrown hill._

 _The climb was treacherous and took days. Some times, they looked down at the bottom, and wondered how far they could fall and still survive, shuddering at the thought. At last they reached a place near the top, a plateau with a cave in the mountainside. It was really well hidden with trees surrounding it, giving them the idea to stay there for the night. With the sun setting on the other side of the mountain, they couldn't see anything inside the entrance. A step too far, and an out of place root, caused them to fall into the yawning abyss hidden before them._

 _The drop seemed to both last forever, and end abruptly. They landed on unyielding stone with a hard thud, only surviving thanks to their small frame and below-healthy weight, though they could not realize this as they had blacked out upon impact. Above them, the last light of the day faded, leaving the cavern they fell into bathed in moonlight..._

 _-X-_

As they slowly regained consciousness, they weren't aware of anything, as though there was nothing around them. Their eyes did not want to open, worrying them. They tried to move a muscle, any muscle, and just barely managed to shift their body a bit, but even that small movement brought a sensation with it. One they knew well, but with an intensity they'd never felt before: pain, from every inch of their young body. A sharp, hot sting flared from their arm as a lesser version traveled up their leg. Their head gave up its own dull, throbbing ache, making it hard to think. The rest was a soreness all over, as though from a bad fall...oh, right. That's exactly what happened.

Memories came back, breaking through the pain in their head. The days spent walking and climbing, the feeling of their foot getting caught on something in the cave, and finally the fall into wherever they were now. They weren't dead, they decided based on a few things. First, they could feel, even if it was just pain, but it also wasn't the horrible torture the preacher said they'd endure eventually. There weren't any clouds or pearl gates either, so between those they had to still be alive. However, that thought didn't fill them with any sort of positivity.

Using their arm that didn't feel like it was on fire from the inside, they forced their body off the ground so they could look around. They opened their red eyes, only to close them immediately as the dark cavern around them seemed to spin and wobble. Even after closing their eyes, they still felt a queasiness, as if the room were moving and would throw them from one end to another. Yet, through that brief glance, they were able to discern the truth of where they were. Deep, deep inside the ground, where the soft glow of the moon had just enough light to illuminate the spot they landed. They were lucky they survived such a fall. Or perhaps unlucky, considering their current state.

They slowly, ever so slowly tried to get to their feet. First they tried putting one leg under themselves so they could lift the rest of their body. Although they got the first part down, they discovered that any attempt to push themselves up resulted in a sense of vertigo and they would fall to one side. Landing on their arm caused them to scream in pain and take a break from trying that again.

Their second way involved simply lying on their back and sitting up. What should have been an easy task was made monumentally difficult from the pain in their head reacting to every little movement. They had an idea that, instead of taking it slow and getting nowhere, they'd do one big sit up and deal with the consequences, then move on to the next part. On an internal count of three, they forced their back up straight into a sitting position. It worked...for a moment. The spinning feeling they had before was now multiplied, making it feel as though the whole mountain had gone topsy-turvy around them. It was all they could do to stay sitting up after that. The wave of nausea caused them to dry heave, their stomach desperately trying to get rid of anything, but it was completely empty.

The next step was tricky: moving from sitting to standing. They knew they couldn't use the same trick, else they would just end up falling, and probably hurt themselves even more. They leaned forward, placing one leg under them so they were sitting awkwardly on one knee, then millimeter by millimeter pushed their body up. It was agonizingly slow in a very literal sense for them. Eventually, they hand managed to stand on their good leg, though they tended to teeter one way then another.

Now they were at a loss though. They hadn't thought they'd get this far, and didn't know where to go from here. They pondered as best they could how to move. They could not use one leg at all, so they would have to hop, but they could barely stand up without being overwhelmed by the pain and dizziness. Afraid, but determined, they tensed their leg and gave a small bunny hop. Next thing they knew, the floor had risen up to slam into them. At least, that's what it felt like. Their entire body flared up in agony, seemingly begging them to stop. They had to choice but to obey, writhing and grinding their teeth as they lay back down against the hard stone. It was all just too much for them. They could feel tears welling in their eyes and couldn't help but let out a pained and worried sob.

"Help! Please help me!" Knowing it was futile, they let out a desperate cry for help as loud as they could, the sound of their wail echoing off the hard stone that surrounded them.

"Someone, anyone! Help!" They called again, quieter this time, their voice repeating fewer times before dying down.

"Please. Just this once, help me..." they said quietly now between sobs before their strength gave out and their body gave out. Fighting back more tears, they waited, hoping beyond anything that for once in their sorry, pathetic life, their plea would be answered. The sound of some wind above was their only response. This was it, they knew. They would die here, broken in both body and spirit, all because of some stupid mistake. Well, that seemed to be the theme of their entire life so far, so why would the end be any different.

"It sounds like it came from over here... Oh!" Was that...a voice? They were underground, far from any village or roads. No, they must be hearing things, life playing one last cruel trick on the demon before banishing it. They ignored it, wondering if this is what happened to people in their last moments.

"You've fallen down, haven't you. Are you okay?" It was definitely a voice, and it was closer now, perhaps right next to them. They struggled to turn their head, squinting to keep from looking at the room too much. All they saw was a white blur beside them, unable to make out if it was a person or a figment of their imagination. Another thought came up that this might be an angel, sent to take them to whatever afterlife waited for them. They tried to speak, to answer them properly, but they found their voice had given up too.

"Here, get up..." A hand moved under their chest, pulling them gently yet insistently up off the floor of the cave. Despite the protests of their body, they found themselves following this new person's lead. They felt themselves begin to topple over again, only for their companion to hold them tightly and keep them upright. They were able to stand on one leg and, with support, take a small bunny hop forward. They still felt like they'd just done a flip and expected to land face first in the dirt, but again the white blur held them fast. A moment later, they took another hop. Then another. With their eyes close, they didn't know where they were going, and could only trust this other knew where they were going. They weren't aware how long they moved for, cradling their hurt arm and keeping one leg off the ground, but they were given small encouragements and reassurances the whole time.

"So who are you?" That caught them off guard as it seemingly came from out of the blue. The question was asked innocently enough, and for anyone else it would be an easy answer, but for them? They could say they're a demon, show this person or angel or whatever it was their red eyes, warn them about how they're not to be trusted. That's what led to them being shunned back in their village. Then again, look where that got them.

Maybe they could claim they're no one, start over fresh. They could claim amnesia from the hit to their head and possibly start a new life. However, they weren't sure if they could keep that up. They were sure to make a mistake eventually that would let others know they hadn't forgotten things, and that would ruin any chance they had.

In the end, they decided to use the one thing their parents gave them before being taken by the disease, the one the red eyed child had been blamed for since.

"F...Frisk." They gave their name, barely loud enough to be considered a whisper. They thought it wouldn't be heard at all.

"Frisk, huh? That's a nice name. My name is Asriel." That surprised Frisk in two ways. First, that they were heard with such a low voice, and second, that someone had called their name nice. As the duo slowly and carefully made their way down a small passageway towards an ancient door, Frisk thought as much as they could and came to a decision. Asriel could be a person, or angel, or imaginary thing their mind made up, but from then on Frisk would consider them their savior and would forever be in their debt.

The thought of something going right for once filled Frisk with Determination.


	2. Mother Dearest

**Welcome to the rewritten chapter 2. Before the story continues, I wanted to thank _251960_ and _Pokeme197_ , who were the first ones to think my story was good enough to follow. I also want to thank everyone else that has followed/favorited me or the story since then. I wouldn't have written anywhere near as much as I have, and this story would probably be shelved while only half finished without the encouragement of everyone so far.  
**

 _-X-_

" _It should've been you that died, you little demon!" The shouting came from a woman, holding a wooden rod as she towered over the quivering form of a child. They huddled in a corner in a ball, doing their best to protect themselves from the larger and stronger person. While not an every day occurrence, it did happen with far too much frequency._

" _Instead, you killed your own parents when by bringing that horrible disease from Hell with you!" They had been blamed for their parent's deaths ever since they were born. The entire town said the same thing, and they all had their own ways of punishing the child. None were more cruel than the one currently striking them over and over._

" _And you have the nerve to pretend to cry, to act like you didn't do it on purpose!" His mother's sister, who had promised to take in any children should something happen to her sibling, showed nothing in the way of love or compassion towards the child. She gave the child as little as she could just to keep them alive, but that was only so she could punish them more._

 _They cried out for help while curled in a corner, voice barely croaking out between the sobs and pain as they looked up at their rod-wielding tormentor. They were afraid of how long this could go tonight, silently hoping it'd end soon. It wasn't the worst they had weathered, but any amount was too much for someone so young._

" _Help? No one would help an abomination like you. In fact, why don't you go out and ask, see what happens?" The woman remarked with a sneer, taking the child by their ragged, striped shirt and practically dragging them to the door. Tossing them out after opening it, she stood in the doorway in case they tried to get back in, smirking as the child only lay there._

" _Go on, try to find help. See if anyone here will have mercy on the red-eyed demon that killed several people with their horrid disease, including their own parents. You'll come crawling back to me, because I just had to promise my sister to take you in. Now get going, and don't let me catch you anywhere near my home tonight."_

 _The door slammed and locked, leaving the child alone, cold, hungry, and hurt. They roused themselves after a few minutes and walked away, not knowing or caring which way they went. They couldn't stay, or they'd be punished more harshly. Asking for help wouldn't be any better either. They'd just get ignored or beaten more, like always. So they looked around before their eyes rested upon a large shadow looming beyond the forest._

 _Mount Ebbot, the cursed home of monsters. Perhaps, if they were a demon and hated by humans, they could find solace among other creatures shunned by humanity. Or just killed outright. Either way had to be better than what their life was like now. And so, with the thought of leaving their old life forever, they walked along the path towards the mountain, unaware of what awaited them._

 _-X-_

The walk lasted forever as the two small figures made their way through different rooms and hallways, one limping with little hops to move forward, the other walking slowly to keep the first steady. It wasn't easy, as Frisk couldn't see straight with their eyes open, and couldn't see at all with them closed. Perhaps that was for the best though, as one look at their eyes and this helpful person would let them go and run off in fear. Judging by their height, Frisk assumed they were a child too. Living underground, they might not know any better anyway, but they didn't want to risk it, at least not until they were feeling better. Some rest and food would help them a little, though with their arm and leg in such sorry states, they might be out of commission for weeks, maybe months.

Asriel talked quietly as they went along, helping this new, injured person along. They were headed to his old home, Home. He still laughed at the names his father gave places sometimes, wondering if his mother had any say in it, or just went along with them. A lot of monsters had moved out to New Home, and some had even made homes outside the doors to Home, where there were plateaus full of trees and snow. His father suggested to the residents there the name of Snowdin, since they were always in snow. Asriel rolled his eyes, wondering how anyone could take a name like that seriously.

For now though, those thoughts were pushed aside as he led Frisk. The first room after the cave was simple to get past, but the stairways after were more of a pain. Asriel had to lift Frisk onto a step, then step up himself, then repeat it until they made it to the top. It was exhausting work, and it was just the beginning, but he was going to do all he could to help this human. That's what his parents had taught him to do, help anyone in need.

He was thankful all the traps and puzzles had been inactive for a long time now as they came to the first one, some pressure plates to the side of the room that would open the door across from them. Instead, the door was already open, as were all the pathways, allowing them to proceed unabated. The switches and spikes in the next room were deactivated, so the hardest part was making sure Frisk didn't fall off the two small bridges into the water flowing through channels.

A couple rooms later, they came to a larger bridge surrounded by water with holes all over it. That is where spikes would normally be sticking out of, requiring one to walk a specific path, otherwise they could not progress. The two children passed over the now spike-less bridge slowly and emerged into a very long hallway, though thankfully there was nothing in this one to impede them.

During all this time, Asriel had been giving Frisk words of encouragement and advice, telling the human how his parents would fix them right up and that they were doing well despite being apparently badly injured. Frisk hardly said anything, other than some soft apologies whenever they lost their footing and a thanks here and there when being helped past something in the way. The poor human never thought someone could be this kind at all, let alone to them.

They passed rooms with trap door puzzles and pressure plates needing rocks to push down, as well as one where the resident Froggits liked to congregate and share news. They then descended down ramps between rooms in a clockwise manner before turning left at a fork in the road. Finally, after over an hour of slow hops and stops, they came to the front yard of the old house with the tree, leaves filling the branches. As they got closer, Asriel called out, hoping someone inside could hear.

"Mom, Dad, I need help!" Frisk flinched, unsure if this kid was really loud, or if their head hurt so much that any noise above a normal speaking level would hurt. However, this cemented in their mind that this was another child helping them. The sound of a door being thrown open and slamming into the wall outside caused another wince.

"Asriel, what is wrong?" came a worried voice ahead of them. It was decidedly feminine, and from what Frisk could tell from their squinting, quite a bit taller. They were also a white blur, the figure wobbling in their sight with the rest of the house behind her, causing the child to groan in nauseous pain. They caught the sound of a gasp and footsteps hurrying to them, and the woman knelt before the duo.

A pair of hands reached out towards Frisk, causing them to recoil back on instinct when they felt themselves get touched. This was an adult, and they were with their child, which never ended well for them on the surface. They couldn't move far, as Asriel still held onto them, but the hands stopped and moved away a little.

"Do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, Queen of the Underground. There, there, I will heal you." She again reached out, one hand on Frisk's head while the other pressed softly against their chest. Frisk felt...something flowing from those hands into them. It was a cool sensation, like mint but all over their body. Their aches and pains faded under the soothing touch, their thoughts becoming more coherent in their mind as the headache and nausea dissipated and their limbs and body stopped crying out in pain. Soon, the feeling faded, Toriel taking a few deep breaths as though she'd just finished running.

"That should help you for now, my child," She said as she pat Frisk's head affectionately, noticing they still squinted their eyes to the point of barely being open.

"It's alright, child, you can open your eyes. It surely isn't that bright here." Frisk let out a small whimper at those words, hoping they could've held off until after they ate, but looked like they wouldn't get the chance now. Setting their other foot down experimentally, they felt a small amount of pain, but it was well enough now that they could limp on it, and their arm was just a dull ache. Breathing deeply, they looked up and opened their eyes, letting this woman that helped them see who, or more accurately what, she'd just saved.

The two gasped simultaneously, though for different reasons. What before was a wobbling, blurry white blob was now something out of a fairy tale. Before them was a woman, but she certainly wasn't human. Instead of skin, pure white fur covered her everywhere Frisk could see. Two long, floppy ears fell beside her head down to her shoulders, with small horns protruding up beside them. Deep brown eyes stared at their own, and a mouth with small fangs hanging out smiled at them. Her dress was a blue or purple, hard to tell in the low light of the underground, and fit her loosely yet comfortably. It had a strange symbol on the chest which Frisk had never seen before. She looked like a goat was mixed with a human, but not like in the horror stories. Instead, she looked quite beautiful.

Toriel meanwhile stared at the child's eyes, which appeared so red as to almost glow. It wasn't the color of the eyes that shocked her though, it was the emotions she saw within them. Fear, suffering, and grief were the most prominent, all with an underlying layer of self hatred and doubt. Through it all though, she saw that, whether for good or bad, this child was determined. She could also see their attire, and the sad state they were in. Their striped shirt was dirty and torn, with stains of who knows what all over. Their shorts seemed too big, with the legs different sizes as though two separate halves were shoddily sewn together. Their leather shoes were old and worn, providing no comfort to their steps.

It was only seconds, but it felt as though hours passed as the two summed each other up before Frisk shut their eyes hard and turned their head away. They trembled, knowing for sure that they would be turned away, yelled at, hit, or worse. If humans were bad enough to make them run away, then they couldn't imagine what horrible things a monster would do to them. They'd come this far though, and were determined to see this through, no matter what happened. When they felt a fuzzy hand touch their shoulder, they jumped but otherwise didn't move.

"My child, what is your name?" came a soft, sweet voice, filled with the same concern from when Asriel called for help.

"...Frisk." they replied at a near whisper, shaking under the gaze and touch of a literal monster.

"Well Frisk, you have very lovely eyes," Toriel said with a smile.

What? Was that...a compliment? And on their eyes, of all things? They expected to be hit, bitten, all out attacked for being a demon and daring to come to the realm of monsters. Even though they had a small hope that they'd be welcomed among monster-kind, it was still unexpected. The first kind words they could remember hearing, and it came from what was supposed to be a vicious, uncaring beast. They couldn't help as they looked back up, tears filling their eyes, and jumped against Toriel, latching onto her neck and shoulders with both arms, ignoring the bright flash of pain and burying their face into the crook of her neck, bawling.

"Mom, are they okay?" Asriel asked while giving his mother's outfit a small tug after a moment of surprise. Toriel, after a bit of shock, wrapped one arm around the blue and pink striped form clinging desperately to her and stood, taking Asriel's hand in her free one and leading them into the house.

"They will be, but we just need to be patient. There are some injuries cannot be healed with magic."


	3. Learning Much

**Hello everyone, hope you're having a super spiffy day! Wanted to say thank you to Timberw0lf for following the story, and to dream1990 for following ME. I'll do my best to keep writing something interesting and worth those follows. And now for chapter 3. Please adjust yourself to the sight of it.**

 _-X-_

 _The two caskets lowered into the earth, surrounded by people all dressed in black. The priest was speaking of the virtues of those departed and what awaited their souls in the afterlife. There was hardly a sound, save for a young baby who knew no better. Their red eyes looked around with curiosity, though any gaze that met theirs had different emotions. Indifference, contempt, fear, anger, hatred, all directed to the child who was ignorant of it all._

 _The only one who would not look at them was the woman holding them, the sister of the woman now being covered in dirt. She'd promised long ago to take in any children her sister had if something happened to her, and she would keep her promise. However, she never said anything about caring for them, and since this child, this demon spawn, had to be the source of the illness coursing through the town, she most certainly would not care for or about them. It could be no coincidence that people were growing sick and dying just after a red-eyed abomination was birthed into this world._

 _When she finally did look down at the baby growing bored and agitated in her arms, it was not with the love an aunt would give her sibling's child, nor that of a foster caregiver taking in an innocent who had lost their parents. Instead, it was sneer filled with malice. She would make this child...no, this THING pay. It would grow up knowing what it did, what it was, and suffer for it. She would take it in, not only because she had to, but because she could get revenge._

 _-X-_

Warm, quiet, comfortable, safe. As Frisk slowly awoke, rousing from a nightmare-less sleep, their foggy mind registered these out of place senses. Their eyes opened a little, just enough to look around and get their bearings. It was a bedroom, though not one from their own house. As they turned to look more, the covers wrapped around them a little tighter.

Wait.

Oh no. Oh no OH NO!

They shouldn't be here! They're not allowed on a bed, or any furniture. Now wide awake, they quickly get off the small bed, moving quietly and remaking the sheet and blanket to the point it looked like no one had slept in it. It wasn't easy to do with their hurt leg causing them to limp, and their arm protesting with every movement, both causing them to wince until the end. With the evidence of their transgression now hidden, they sat on the rug and took a moment to remember why they were in a bed in the first place.

Through the haze of first waking up, they pieced together the events leading up to their current situation. Their wounded arm and leg helped them remember the fall and its aftermath on their body. Their memories after that were hazy at best, a blur of fluffy white people and purple corridors, as well as their injuries being healed somehow, or at least mostly healed.

Looking down, they saw themselves still in their normal clothes, though they looked even more ragged than before. Frisk supposed days spent walking through a forest and climbing up, then falling into, a mountain would do that. They wondered if they were as dirty as the shirt and shorts, since it'd been a long time since they'd been allowed to bathe. They shuddered as they remembered their last bath with cold water and a rough sponge running too roughly over their shivering form.

They became aware of hushed voices floating in from out the door, where a low light could be seen under. Tiptoeing in order to be as quiet as possible, they inched the door open, not letting out so much as a squeak from the hinges and peered out. Outside stretched a hallway, whose floors and doors were painted a bright yellow, with the walls being a little more muted orange, and a matching rug on the floor with an alternating diamond and circle pattern. However, the light wasn't coming from any of the lamps in this hallway, but instead from an open area further to their right.

Frisk passed a mostly empty room painted a much more subdued peach, with a door to their left and a stairway leading down to their right. The small shelving right of the stairs was lined with books, while the corner table to the stairs' left held a potted plant. They gave the stairs a wide berth, remembering being locked inside a cold, dark, damp basement back on the surface. When they reached the end of this room, they stopped and peered in from the corner, finding the source of the voices.

One was the monster woman, it was...Tu...Toriel. That's it, Toriel! The one that made them feel better with just a touch, promising them food, and then called their eyes 'lovely.' They touched around an eye softly, hardly believing that was real, knowing they'd have passed it off as a rare good dream were the woman not sitting in the room before them. Even though she was facing them, they took no notice, as their attention was on another figure.

A fireplace was the only light in the room, casting a warm glow over everything except for a large section of shadow. The one casting such a shadow was standing in front of Toriel, speaking in a deep, resonating tone that seemed at once both calming and commanding. His figure matched his voice, easily the largest person Frisk had ever seen before. He seemed to be the same kind of monster as Toriel and Asriel, with pure white fur all over. However, his horns were much larger and curved back, bright blonde hair covered much of his head, including as a beard and mustache, and on top of his head sat what looked to be a golden crown. It was strange then that his clothes seemed normal, a pair of black trousers and a white shirt. Even so, his physical presence would be enough to scare anyone Frisk knew. Except, it seemed, Toriel.

"I will not abandon a poor, innocent youth in need, Asgore. Only a terrible creature would do something so heartless," she said firmly yet calmly, looking up at him from her place on the chair next to the fireplace.

"I am not saying that, Tori. We just need to be careful. Humans, even ones in their youth, are incredibly dangerous. You found them hurt and alone, so they accepted your help, but who's to say they won't lash out when they're better? There could also be others that follow, looking for them. A human knight or warrior coming through here would be a disaster. We just have to keep them hidden and guarded until..."

"You mean locked in a cell like some crazed animal threatening to bite. I will be having none of it. That child will be allowed their freedom to roam around, just as anyone else here." Toriel interrupted, casting a stern gaze toward the larger figure, Asgore. He looked like he wanted to object, only to sigh and sag his shoulders for a moment before straightening back up.

"Alright, but what about their safety? We've both agreed it's better to stay down here than attempt to return to the surface, but not all monsters feel the same. Letting them run around unsupervised would only result in some monsters trying to fight them for their soul." Asgore said with worry in his voice, afraid both of what the child could do, and what could become of them. At this point though, Frisk limped into the room, catching Toriel's attention as they entered the fire light near the end of the room, who's altered gaze caused Asgore to look at the child as well.

"It's fine if a monster wants to fight me. I don't have a soul for them to take anyways." Frisk said with a hush, looking down at the ground submissively. The two goat monsters looked at them in stunned silence. Finally Asgore went to move towards them, only for them to move backwards when he took a step forward. Instead, he knelt before the human, doing his best to be eye level with them.

"All humans have a soul, child. Why do you believe you do not?" His voice was low and quite, but not in a menacing way, like others used on them before. It helped Frisk gain the courage to answer back.

"Because I'm not human, I'm a demon. Demons don't have souls. If I did, I would have my parents, and everyone wouldn't hate me for being alive." They took a few shuddering breaths to calm themselves as they spoke, keeping their head low to hide their face behind their scraggly brown hair. Toriel stared at them in a mix of surprise and sadness, wondering what kind of horrible beast would lay such burdens on a child, while Asgore did their best to smile warmly.

"I don't believe that. I can prove to you that you are a human. I can show you your very soul, if you want." Asgore offered, smiling as the child looked at them with squinting eyes. When they gave a small nod, he stood and backed up a few steps, then held his hand out towards Frisk. They felt something inside them, coming together, taking shape. A second later, a bright red heart burst from them, hovering in front of them. Their hands instinctively went to their chest but felt no hole, as if it had been immaterial. Meanwhile, their eyes opened wide at the sight, the irises matching the color of the soul as both seemed to glow.

"That, child, is your soul, the very culmination of your being. While both humans and monsters have them, a human soul is much stronger, allowing the trait they attune most strongly with to show through as certain colors. Your red soul is that of determination, the drive to accomplish anything you put your mind to. It is also considered to be the strongest type of soul, as those with it are known for defying all odds to achieve their goals." Asgore explained to the enraptured child, who had taken their soul into their hands, cradling it.

"An orange soul is that of bravery in the face of danger, while blue is integrity to stand by your principles. Purple is perseverance through the greatest of adversity, green is kindness even to those who do not deserve it, yellow is justice delivered to those who do wrong, and aqua is patience to handle any situation. Humans are capable of having all these at once, though not all humans seem to do so." With that, Asgore released the magic that made Frisk's soul materialize, causing it to reenter their body, leaving the stunned child before him.

Toriel had sat in silence as her husband gave Frisk a lesson on their soul, though she watched them both for any sign of trouble. She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding as the soul went back into that striped shirt. However, she couldn't help but notice the way the child seemed to lean a little to one side, putting more weight on one leg. So she brushed herself off and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

"Frisk, you must be starving after everything that's happened. You fell asleep too quickly after coming in that I just put you to bed, so I'll have to make you a nice big breakfast to make up for it. Gory, please show them the washroom and fetch them some clean clothes. They look about Asriel's size, so a set of his should work." With that, she headed into the other room, lighting the lanterns inside with her fire magic in order to prepare breakfast for everyone.

"Come along, human. I'll will draw you a nice warm bath, and have some clothes waiting for you when you're finished and dry." Asgore talked while walking towards the yellow hallway, followed by a lightly limping Frisk. Looking back, the large monster frowned at seeing this and turned, scooping up the child before they could move out of the way and carrying them into the hall and towards the only door on the right side. Frisk at first gave a small struggle from surprise, but stopped when he realized nothing had really happened to them.

Inside this other door was a rather large washroom, made specifically for a monster of Asgore's size. The tub was more round, almost circular, with two nozzles at one end, red and blue. Asgore, after setting Frisk down, turned them both to certain points with practiced ease, waiting a moment for the water to become the right temperature, then stepped aside.

"Human...Frisk, is the water temperature to your liking?" he asked, hand motioning to the pouring water to indicate to the child to test it. Frisk put a hand over the side and into the stream coming out, expecting freezing cold water, but surprised at is felt hot, but not scaldingly so.

"It feels good," they replied, taking their hand away. Asgore gave another soft smile and turned to leave, the towels on the rack behind him swaying slightly at the movement.

"Just knock on the door when you're finished washing and drying. I will be waiting with some fresh clothing, then we can have something to eat once we're all ready." Exiting the room, he left the child to themselves, heading to the room they woke from to get a set of clothing from the wardrobe. Using his magic to light the lanterns, the room took on a bright red hue. He wondered why Asriel chose red for everything in the room, as their favorite colors where yellow and green. Speaking of his son, Asgore was going to have to return to his room and wake the boy if he didn't get up on his own soon. It was still a little early, but with breakfast already being made and the human awake, he was sure the younger goat monster wouldn't want to miss out. With these musings, he selected a set of clothes consisting of undergarments, tan trousers and a green shirt with a large yellow horizontal stripe in the middle, then headed back into the hallway to wait for the knock from the door.

Meanwhile, Frisk had been left alone in the washroom. Feeling the water again, they then removed their dirty and torn garments, carefully placing them on the side of the sink. The tub was so large, they practically had to climb into it, careful of their leg and arm when getting in. Sitting down, the water came up to their belly button, warming them up nicely. They turned the levers to stop more water coming from the nozzles, content with how much there was. Looking around, they saw a bar of soap and a large wooden bowl with some kind of cream inside, with the label 'fur cleaner' on the side. Well, they didn't have fur, but maybe their hair was close enough to use that.

Laying back, Frisk submerged their hair and body in the water, careful to keep their mouth and nose above the water line. Sitting back up, they took a handful of the cream and spread it all through their hair. They'd unknowingly taken way too much for their hair, several large globs falling back into the water while they combed their fingers through their hair, feeling the dirt being lifted and the knots coming undone. Dunking their hair back under the water while still running their hands through it, they rinsed the fur lotion out, taking the dirt with it.

Next came their body, which consisted of running the bar of soap over themselves. Unbeknownst to them, there was magic infused into it to make the bather feel refreshed and energized, helping with the clean feeling they got. They were extra careful on their leg and arm so as not to aggravate the wounds they still had there. While washing, their mind began to wander, going over the events that had happened recently.

First, their goal of finding and possibly living with monsters had been successful. They'd more than once thought they would just find their end on that mountain while climbing it. Surely everyone in the village would think that's what befell the child. Second, they weren't a demon after all, but a true human with a soul.

Frisk had many emotions running through their head about that last revelation. They were happy that the horrible things said about them were untrue. They were angry that everyone lied to them, hurt them, and ignored them for so long when they were just like everyone else. Then they were sad, thinking that since they were human, maybe they were just like everyone else in the village, that they too could be so cruel and hateful as to torture an innocent person who did nothing wrong. Finally, they worried that they would turn against these monsters who had so far been the best, nicest people they'd ever known.

They didn't know how long they'd been lost in thought, but when they looked at their hands, their fingers had started to prune, the bar of soap having long been returned to its place. Asgore was waiting for them, they had to get out and dry off. Pulling a plug at the end of the tub, they drained the water and climbed back out, taking one of the towels and patting the water off. The towel was extra fluffy, probably to help soak water out of fur, meaning it worked extra well on the fur-less Frisk.

Stretching for a moment, they knocked on the door to the hallway, standing to the side so when it opened they were mostly behind it. Open it did, with a large furry hand holding a set of clothing in, though Asgore was looking away in order to protect the child's decency.

Frisk took the clothes daintily, with the large monster closing the door afterwards. They looked at the clothes on the counter, the ones they'd been wearing for so long, then at the new set in their hands, their eyes start to wet. They hadn't had new clothes since they could recall, and these felt much softer than their previous outfit. Putting it on before they had a chance to cry, they looked at themselves in the mirror by the sink. The clothes were slightly baggy, but they were sure they could grow into them. As they turned away and reached for the door handle, the possibility of having a better life with monsters filled them with determination.


	4. Family Breakfast

**Big thanks to Gem Rose for adding this story as a favorite, and to ChillyIce, Linki and Sora Kurai for following. It means a lot to me just knowing people are not only reading this, but enjoying it too, and it compels me to continue. I'm also having a lot of fun with it. While most of this is being made up pretty much on the fly, I do have ideas and plans for future chapters.**

 **To Timberw0lf, I tend to not like them either, which is why I have it toned down to where most of it is implied rather than shown. I'm glad you're so enthusiastic for the story though!**

 **To Maniacaldude, I'm going off the idea that Frisk was not only the first to fall, but had the same upbringing as Chara's, and we all know what Chara thought of humans because of it. How this will affect Frisk and the rest is something I'm working on.**

 **To katmar1994, me too. Golly, I hope the writer doesn't do something to them or someone they care about in a later chapter.**

 *** _Did a few little edits here and there - 12/4*_**

 _-X-_

 _Quaint, quiet, boring, cozy. All these could describe the small town beneath the mountain where two parents held their newborn, having opted to deliver the child in their home. Their little bundle of joy had just blessed them, and though exhausted from the labor, both mother and father smiled to each other._

" _Hi there. Welcome to the world. You're gonna love it here, we'll make sure of that." The father stroked the baby's head as he talked, the blanket around them keeping them nice and warm. His smile faltered a little as he looked into the infant's eyes, seeing them shine bright red in the light._

" _Red eyes? Is that normal?" As a new parent, he knew he and his wife had a lot to learn, but were eager to do so. The midwife shook her head at the question though and looked into their eyes herself._

" _Hm, that is curious. Eyes tend to either stay the same color, or start blue and darken to another, though never have I heard of red coming from either of those choices. Let me fetch the Father and get his opinion."_

 _The video camera was still rolling to capture the baby's first moments when a pastor in fine robes walked in. With a stern look to him, he strode straight to the bed to examine the child with hardly a glance at the parents._

" _Father, is something wrong?" The mother asked, worry tinging her tired voice, holding her baby as the town's leader, both spiritually and in many cases literally, narrowed his eyes. He straightened back up, now nearly scowling._

" _This child is unnatural! Such eyes as a demon's it has, they are a blight against God's creations. They should be cast out of this town, lest we suffer His wrath and are cursed." The preacher ranted with gusto as though preaching to his whole congregation. The two new parents sat in stunned silence, the priest having a few more choice words about sin and damnation before leaving._

 _Then, in the time following, they spoke of their future. Of leaving the village, finding a home that would welcome them and their unique child, and of what they would be named. Something to prove the priest wrong while staying true to the mother's Swedish roots. Perhaps a name that meant healthy, lively, like they hoped this little life in their hands would be._

" _Frisk...I like that." The father said, kissing his baby's head._

 _-X-_

Asgore looked down at Frisk as they re-entered the hallway, seeing how much better they looked without the covering of dirt and wearing clean clothes. Their hair was lighter, both in color and weight, and their skin became a more olive oil tone which seemed more natural for them. They held their original clothes in their right hand, having used their left to open the door.

"Ah, it looks like the bath did you a lot of good. Now, breakfast isn't ready yet, so would you like to come with me to wake my son?" Asgore asked kindly, and at Frisk's silent nod he knelt down and picked them up again, this time with no squirming coming from the human. A few steps from the large monster was all it took to reach the last door in the hallway, opening it to reveal a dark room which brightened considerably when Asgore lit the lantern nearby.

The room was...well, pretty drab compared to the rest of the house if Frisk was being honest. Everything was a white or grey color, even the pictures on the wall. The chair in front of the table, the table in front of the bed, and even the bed itself were all the same whites and greys. A dresser and wardrobe finished out the look of the room and offered nothing in the way of color. The only odd thing about the room was the lump in the bed, which the child presumed was a sleeping goat monster child.

"Asriel, time to wake up. We're about to have breakfast with the human, Frisk." Asgore said as he gently rocked his son with his free hand, the other keeping Frisk suspended. The younger goat boy groaned and yawned, stretching under the covers to reveal green pajamas over his arms. Frisk wondered how he was comfortable with both a blanket and nightwear on when he was covered in fur. Asriel himself just opened his eyes a bit, not used to the light quite yet.

"Morning dad. Howdy Frisk. Sleep well?" Frisk and Asgore both nodded and Asriel smiled, slowly sitting up and pulling the covers off.

"Son, why don't you head on into your room and get dressed? I'll take Frisk to the family room to wait for the food to finish." Asgore suggested, patting his son on the back as he hopped out of bed and scampered off into the hallway. The large monster and the human followed after setting Frisk's clothes on the bed, seeing the door Frisk exited when they first woke up closing. They went back to the room with the fireplace and Asgore turned the rest of the lanterns on, setting Frisk on a chair at the table.

"How did you light that?" Frisk asked as they were set down, the small fires in the lanterns giving off more of a glow than they would've expected, giving the room a nice warm lighting.

"With magic, of course." Asgore had moved one of the chairs at the end of the table to the side next to Frisk and held out his hand, when suddenly a small red flame with a yellow core appeared in it. Frisk couldn't help but stare in surprise.

"Wow, real magic?" They were amazed, magic having been something that only existed in myths and tales, yet now here it was in front of them.

"Um, yes, real magic. Surely you've seen some done by your town's mage, right?" Asgore was confused. Humans needed special training to use magic, but it wasn't that uncommon for even the smallest of hamlets to have at least one practitioner. Yet this child acted as though magic was a rarity at best.

"There are no mages, magic isn't real. At least, it wasn't." How could someone, even a monster, be so nonchalant about magic? The very idea to Frisk was incredible. However, when they thought about it, they remembered Toriel touching them and then feeling better after she said she'd heal them. Was that magic too? What else could magic do?

Meanwhile, Asgore furrowed his brow, thinking of what could've happened on the surface since they'd been exiled under the mountain. Seven powerful mages had sealed the monsters in, only for there to be no magic in the human realm at all any more. Were mages prosecuted for their abilities like monsters were, or did the human leaders feel there was no more need for magic with no monsters to fight? Maybe monsters being sealed away affected it, since humans weren't naturally inclined to magic the way monsters were. Whatever the reason, he couldn't dwell on it yet. So he merely nodded to Frisk and went to the chair by the fireplace, lifting it easily and bringing it to the table just as Asriel bounded in, apparently a quick riser in the morning.

Toriel had heard the discussion from the kitchen and looked at the pancakes on the plates on the counter, all cooked with fire magic. She became worried that perhaps her magic cooked things differently than what they were used to, but couldn't change it now. When they returned to New Home, she'd cook something with the stove, their house the first to get electricity after the Core was completed. There were still many without, but Dr. Gaster was working diligently on connecting the rest of the underground before moving on to his next project. For now, Toriel just sighed, hoping the child would enjoy her cooking nonetheless.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Asriel entered, giving an excited "Morning Mom!" She smiled and pat his head, giving him a morning greeting back and telling him to set the table, which he did dutifully. She had to remind him to grab four of everything though, since they had a guest, causing Asriel to have to turn around and grab an extra fork and knife. She followed after him, carrying each plate and setting them in front of everyone.

"Thanks Tori, looks as delicious as always." Asgore and Toriel then touched noses and wiggled them, causing Asriel to make a face as he now sat beside Frisk.

"Thanks mom." Next came Asriel, who looked eager to dig into the food but waited for everyone else to be ready, as he'd been taught.

Then came Frisk, who eyed the two flat-yet-fluffy pancakes hungrily before realizing they needed to be polite too.

"Thanks mom." They said without thinking, regretting the words the moment they left their lips. Their hand went instantly to their mouth and covered it, eyes wide in surprise and fear. The monsters were looking at them, judging them. They had a chance here, and they messed it up, all because they couldn't think for a second when a little bit of food was put in front of them.

Indeed, the monster family was looking at them, and they were judging, but that was not directed towards Frisk.

"Did you just call me... Mom?" Toriel asked as Frisk lowered their head, hiding their face behind their hair.

"Well...I suppose...would that make you happy? To call me... Mother?" Toriel had to think about her words, seeing how upset the child already was at such a guffaw. Frisk nodded, not daring to look at any of the others around them. If they had, they'd have noticed Asriel looking at them excitedly, and Asgore looking at Toriel with a range of different emotions. There was silence for a moment, which was broken by Toriel.

"Well then, call me whatever you like!" She exclaimed, setting her own plate down and leaning over, pulling Frisk into a hug where they sat, before taking her own seat across from Asgore in her large comfy chair. Now that everyone had been seated, the three monsters picked up their utensils and started eating, with the human following suit, still hiding their face in their hair lest their smile and tears be seen. They were such a crybaby, they thought.

"Does this mean I'm a brother now?" Asriel asked with barely contained glee, causing his father to almost choke on the pancake piece in his mouth despite it quickly dissolving into magic. Toriel looked to him, making sure he was fine as he gave a thumbs up, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Not really. Though if Frisk cannot return home and they decide to stay with us, I'm sure we'd be happy to make them part of the family." She looked at Asriel as she explained this, though gave her husband a glance when she finished. He had his lips thin in thought, but didn't object, trusting his wife to do what was right. Stars knows the underground would've been much worse off without her guidance.

"I hope you do stay, Frisk. It'd be a lot more fun than by myself! Oh, would you be my brother or sister?" Asriel had turned fully towards Frisk, more interested in them than the half-eaten food. Frisk, for their part, had been surprised when they went to swallow only for the pancake to dissolve, but chalked it up to being monster food instead of regular food. It still made them feel satisfied, and was one of the best things they'd ever tasted, so they had no complaints.

"Son, that was incredibly impolite. You can't just ask something like that, especially at the table when eating." Scolded Asgore, causing Asriel to apologize and turn back towards his food, eating with a little less enthusiasm. Frisk just sighed before answering.

"It's fine, I can be either one. No one really ever told me which I am, instead I was just 'demon' or 'it' or 'they'. I just kind of got used to being neither a boy or girl." Replied Frisk with sincerity, taking a mouthful of monster pancake after that. They was almost done, with Asgore finishing well ahead despite having twice as much, and Toriel being done from having the same amount as the children.

From there, the conversation moved onto things Frisk liked. They'd only ever had one set of clothes at a time, which was always a shirt and shorts in whatever color, though they'd really like the blue they wore previously. They had never worn a dress, but wouldn't object to trying one, especially a cute one with a ribbon. Their favorite food was the pancakes they'd just had, causing Toriel to beam in delight and Asriel to make promises of even better assortments of baked sweets. Then, Frisk had a thought pop into their head.

"Mo...Toriel, you said you were queen of the underground yesterday. Does that mean Asgore is the king, and Asriel prince?" They weren't comfortable calling her mom so soon, even with the okay to. After getting confirmation, Frisk continued.

"Then, if I stayed, would I be royalty too?" Again, their thoughts were confirmed, though they were told that Asriel, being their natural child, would always be considered first for anything related to ruling, and that things worked a little differently within the monster kingdom than with humans. Mostly they were much more personable, often going out to speak with various monsters throughout the kingdom and making sure everyone is doing well. While everyone knew them by first name, they were still referred to as King and Queen, or sometimes as Mr. and Mrs. Dreemurr. Only a few, such as General Gerson, called them anything else unless specified.

"Though overall, we just like any family doing the best we can down here." Asgore finished, the food long gone and dishes cleaned and put away.

"Asriel, why don't you take Frisk and go play for a while?" Toriel suggested, sitting back at the table. The goat boy was glad to do something other than talk about boring things like ruling the kingdom of monsters, which mostly just consisted of telling people to stay happy, or so he thought. Taking Frisk by the hand, he led them into his bright red room.

"What would you like to do first? I've got some toys in the chest here, or I can show you the passageways back to where I found you." Asriel listed off, looking at the human expectantly. Frisk, for their part, looked over the toys but wasn't really interested in them.

"Let's go outside, I don't remember what it looked like on the way here. My head and eyes hurt too much." They remembered the pounding in their head and the way putting pressure on one leg made them want to collapse, as well as how every little arm movement made them want to wince. Actually, thinking about it now, they didn't limp on the way to the bedroom, and there wasn't any pain from their arm. They gave their foot an experimental tap on the floor, then a stomp, and it all felt normal. Same with their arm. Huh, maybe it had something to do with that magic food.

"Might want to wear something on your feet, don't wanna step on a sharp rock or anything." Asriel was already putting some shoes on, motioning to another pair nearby. They were a bit old, with the color fading from them, but they fit well enough. At least they were more comfortable than their old pair. With that, Asriel again took Frisk by the hand and headed outside, the two practically running out.

Once sure the two children were gone, Toriel and Asgore both sighed, not looking forward to this conversation. The king inhaled to speak, but was cut off by the queen.

"I know, Gory. Saying they could be part of our family was rash. I've heard all your concerns about them, too. But after everything we've learned about their life, and the way they wanted to call me mother, even though I'm a monster they just met...I couldn't stop myself. They're just a child who hasn't had a ability to be one, but down here they have a chance. We could raise them right, show them what a family can be." Toriel spoke quickly, not letting Asgore get a word in. For his part, he waited patiently until she was done before taking a breath to speak.

"Tori, I agree with keeping them with us. Along with everything you've said, being adopted as a member of the royal family would be it's own kind of protection, as hurting them would be the same as hurting Asriel, and anyone who would try that would receive no mercy from either of us. With how often we travel and meet other monsters, it would also be good for them to see that monsters aren't evil creatures, and monsters would see the same about humans. Since they most likely won't be able to pass through the barrier, I think that would be the best option." Asgore had his hands folded in front of him as he spoke, sitting up straight and proper, looking every bit the leader of monsters.

Toriel smiled and got up from her seat, Asgore doing the same and meeting in the middle for an embrace. They both stayed like that for a minute, letting their thoughts and worries melt away as they held each other. Sadly it had to end, and Asgore was the first to pull away.

"We should get ready. I'll lay out some warm clothes for the kids' return and pack an extra set, then we can head through underground back to New Home." Giving his wife one last nose nuzzling, he headed into Asriel's room to get them some jackets and warm clothes, then to his own to grab Frisk's original clothes, while Toriel set some water to boil for tea. They both made sure the house was in order, for it might be a while before the returned.

 _\- Meanwhile -_

Asriel and Frisk ventured through the rooms and passageways outside of Home, the young goat boy explaining about how most of them had some kind of trap or puzzle to solve before people could proceed to the next room, but they'd all been disabled long ago. Frisk was glad for this, not knowing if they could've made it to Asriel's home in the state they'd been in. Along the way they met some other monsters, each with their own quirks. Froggits that only spoke "Ribbit" which Asriel had to translate, Loox who was happy when they weren't picked on by the new human, and Moldsmal, which Frisk was pretty sure was wiggling flirtatiously at them so they wiggled back.

"What a meaningful conversation." Asriel said with a giggle.

In time though, they made it all the way back to the cave entrance. Light shining in now, Frisk was amazed they weren't outright dead, let alone able to even move from falling from such a height. Asriel stood in the center of the light, arms outstretched.

"This is one of the few places natural sunlight can get in to. The other one is in New Home. I'd just got done visiting here to see if the moonlight was coming in when I heard you. Golly, it sure was a surprise." Asriel explained while soaking up the sunlight. The two stood there for a while, warming up, but eventually got bored and headed back. They each took a piece of monster candy on the way, Frisk surprised at the licorice flavoring.

Stepping back into the cozy little home, the pair were stopped by Toriel when on the way to Asriel's room.

"Children, we'll be leaving soon for New Home. I recommend you put some warm clothes on. Frisk, you can either change with Asriel, or in the bath room if you would be more comfortable." The two were given head pats as they made their way. Frisk decided to change in the room, just asking Asriel to turn around as they did the same while changing from shorts to pants. Asriel removed his shirt to put a jacket on, but Frisk decided they would be warmer with both. Besides, no one needed to see what was under their shirt.

With the two snug as bugs in a rug, they walked out into the first room by the stairs where Asgore and Toriel were waiting, similarly dressed as the two kids. They started descending the stairs, but Frisk stopped at the top, holding the rail as they looked down. Toriel, seeing Frisk, headed back up and took their hand.

"It is all right, my child. We are merely leaving this place. We...Asgore, Asriel, and I...will help you and protect you. Do you understand?" Frisk gave a small nod, though their eyes were unfocused, looking not at the goat woman speaking to them, but the dark chasm in their mind. They were genuinely surprised when Toriel stepped in front of them, bent down to be face to face with them.

"You are stronger than you think. Listen to me, small one. When we go beyond the door at the end of this tunnel, eventually we will reach an exit. Asgore will lead us home, but you must come with us for him to succeed." Frisk now looked directly at her with their full attention, not having realized she was leading them down the steps one at a time while talking. Once at the bottom, she straightened up, never letting go of their hand.

"See, we are all here. We'll head out together, so be good, won't you, my child?"

Looking back, Frisk saw the stairs leading back up with no door blocking the way, now seemingly not so scary. Facing forward again, the stood straight, held Toriel's hand, and took their first step towards the exit, filled with determination.


	5. Going Home

**First, I want to seriously thank everyone who's been reading and following this story. Means a lot to know I'm making something that people enjoy. I know I say something like that with each chapter, but it's always true.**

 **Secondly, I'm not 100% happy with this chapter. Mostly because I haven't really had time to sit down properly and write, being busy this close to the holidays, which is also why it's taken so long to get it out. Therefore, I'm sorry if the quality seems a little low.**

 **To dream1990, don't worry. We'll all know what Frisk is hiding under their shirt someday.**

 **Edit 12/12: I didn't realize the wingdings font didn't come through. I'll get a workaround done tonight when I'm not on mobile, along with various other fixes**

 **Second Edit 12/12: Think I got a working solution to the wingdings, and a few small fixes here and there. Sorry for letting that slip through.  
**

 _-X-_

Even knowing what to expect and being dressed for it, the cold that hit Frisk upon the door opening was a big surprise. It hadn't been that cold even on top of the mountain, yet beneath it was snow. As Frisk tried to wrap their head around there being snow inside a mountain instead of on top of it, they walked to keep up with the goat monster family, who had slowed to keep pace with Frisk. As it was the child's first time through the underground, they expected them to take their time with sightseeing and investigating anything that piqued their curiosity.

What they hadn't expected was the human falling flat on their back onto the snow after letting Toriel's hand go. Their limbs moved up and down, left and right a few times before they hopped back up, surveying their handiwork. At the puzzled expressions of the others, Frisk gave a little explanation.

"It...it's a snow angel. The sides look like the wings, and the bottom like a...dress?" They said, never really knowing what the garment angels wore was called. Quickly, the other three got the idea, with Asriel flopping onto their back to make one beside Frisk's. He hadn't had much practice before, resulting in a sloppier angel, but smiled when Frisk gave them a compliment on it.

"Is that what the angel from the prophecy looks like, Dad?" The boy asked as they started moving again, now the one holding Frisk's hand and nearly pulling them along, the human's grip light in theirs. Asgore gave his large shoulders a shrug at the question.

"No on knows, Azzy. All we know is they come from the surface and free us." He responded, recalling the few details they had left of the rune that had become the symbol of the monster kingdom since becoming exiled, even going so far as to adopt it as the royal badge. They walked along in silence for a bit, crossing a bridge across a gap in the ground when Asriel spoke up again, having been lost in thought before.

"Hey Frisk, since you came from the surface, couldn't you be the angel?" He'd asked, turning his head to look at the human as they walked, only to nearly fall backwards as Frisked stopped in his tracks, still holding on to the furry hand. They trembled, but not from the cold, and their head was low, but their voice was lower as they spoke.

"I'm not an angel." Thoughts were swirling in their head, about how they'd believed they were a demon, only for a monster to show them that they were human. Just like the ones still on the surface. The ones who hurt them, who lied to them, who told them the most horrible things. They almost wished they had been a demon, so at least all the hatred towards them would've been deserved. But no, they were human. Just. Like. The. Others.

"Frisk! Ow, you're squeezing too hard!" Asriel cried out as they pulled their hand away, shaking it and rubbing it, tears on the corners of his eyes. Frisk looked up with a surprised and fearful expression, not knowing they had been clenching their fists, or that they still held the boy's hand.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry Asriel! I didn't know I was doing that!" Again, they'd unintentionally hurt someone who got close to them, only now they knew it wasn't because they were a demon, but because they were human. They were pulled away from those thoughts as Asriel took their hand again, the same one they'd been squeezing.

"It's ok, you didn't mean to, so all is forgiven." He said with a smile as the goat boy moved to wrap his arm around Frisk, holding them close. They weren't sure if the blush forming on their cheeks was from the cold air or the warm furry cheek that pressed against theirs, but they smiled back and resumed walking. Toriel and Asgore, who'd looked on worriedly, each let out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding from when their son let out a pained cry.

"Frisk, we don't expect you to be the angel. That would be an incredible burden to put on someone's shoulders."Asgore said, looking down at his new charge and giving them a pat.

"Indeed, my child. All we expect you to be is...well, a child." Toriel chimed in, patting her own son's head even while looking at Frisk.

The rest of the walking went by without much happening. There were a few monsters along the way, and one canine sentry that saluted nervously as the royal family went by their post. However, even with only a few others seeing them, word spread fast that not only were the King and Queen returning with the Prince early, but they had someone with them that had never been seen before. In a town too small to even have a name yet, a new face was always a big deal.

A lot of walking, a little ice skating, and a few bridges later, they came to the first house in the snow. Outside it, several furred monsters had gathered to watch as the family arrived, another canine in armor standing at attention, even though they panted with their tongue out. Frisk was tempted to pet them, but didn't want to get in trouble or get them in trouble. As they drew closer, they could hear some of the whispering coming from the townsfolk.

"...such a cute couple..." "...grow up to be like his father..." "...always so nice to everyone..."

Then they caught sight of Frisk, and they could feel as well as see all those eyes looking straight at them. It made them bury their head in the jacket a little more, hiding behind Toriel and taking her hand.

"It's them." "Where?" "They just went behind the queen." "Oh, I see them now. What do you think they are?" Their voices were now easily heard as they grew closer, the excitement from the small crowd palpable. The crowd hushed when the king approached, leading the others.

"Howdy everyone! Every monster here doing well?" Asgore asked, sweeping his arms wide to indicate he was talking to everyone. They all murmured that they were, in various ways. As he continued to talk to them, a small red reptilian in a white and black striped shirt snuck around everyone without notice, coming up behind Asriel and Frisk.

"Yo! You're another kid, aren't you?" Frisk yelled and jumped in surprise, having already been on edge with a crowd of people so close. They turned around, clutching their chest as they felt their heart beating fast enough to go a mile in a second. Toriel and Asriel turned too, the former taking on a stern expression.

"Young child, it is rude to sneak up behind and scare them." She chastised them smaller lizard-looking monster, who's face and tail dropped from the scolding.

"I-I'm sorry, Queen Toriel. I just wanted to...to see who else was with you. Everyone does." They replied, giving a bow to the goat woman, only to lose their balance and fall onto their face. They instantly popped back up, and Frisk thought their face somehow looked a little redder.

"I'm fine!" They said, obviously used to falling and picking themselves back up. Frisk and Asriel let out little giggles.

"Well, my child, would you like to introduce yourself?" Inquired Toriel, looking down at Frisk, who bit their lip softly while thinking. Nodding, they put their hand out.

"I'm Frisk." They said softly. The monster kid grinned and turned around, putting his tail in Frisk's hand and making it shake.

"Call me MB, for monster boy. Everyone's called me that cause when I fall, they'll go 'are you okay, monster boy?'" When they turned around, they saw Frisk looking at their hand in confusion.

"Hey, gotta do things differently when you don't have arms. Never slowed me down though!" His excitement was infectious, making Asriel laugh and Frisk smile. The crowd behind them had grown curious as well, but the king was holding them back for the moment.

"How did you know I was a kid?" Frisk asked. MB just hopped up and down as he spoke.

"Easy, you're wearing a striped jacket! All kids in the underground wear stripes. Didn't you know that?" Frisk just shrugged, but their non-answer seemed to be enough for their new counterpart. Suddenly, they looked around and saw they were surrounded by all kinds of monsters, with Asgore behind them looking sheepish at letting them get by him.

"Hello little one!" "Hiya kid, welcome!" "Aw, aren't they the cutest?" "What kind of monster are ya?"

The comments and questions came too fast to respond to, not that Frisk was in any shape to do so. With people pressing in from all sides, their eyes were wide in fear, taking a step back and bumping into Toriel, who had been giving a glare to Asgore. Now that she looked down though, her expression changed to one of concern. They draped one arm over them protectively and looked up at the crowd.

"Everyone, please step back. This child is not used to being around so many others, and you're frightening them." Toriel said with a concerned and authoritative voice. The crowd hushed and started to move away, little apologies coming from each of them. The last one to go was MB.

"Dude, we all have to hang out some time. With you two and the other kids around, we could have an epic snow ball fight!" With a wave of his clawed foot, MB headed off after the rest of the crowd, having gone about their affairs. Some were taking decorations off a deer-like monster as it talked about 'those dang teens.' Oddly, it seemed to resemble a Christmas tree.

With that whole mess over, and in an effort to calm Frisk down, Asgore went into the local store, a tiny shop with little necessities, and brought out a treat. A 'bicicle' he called it, like a popcicle with two sticks, and they took it with a quiet thanks, breaking it in half and giving one to Asriel.

As they left the small town, Frisk stayed close to Toriel, holding her hand and trying to breathe normally. The last time they'd been in a crowd like that...well, it wasn't something they wanted to remember. Thinking on it though, the monsters had seemed nice enough, though they hoped if they came back, it wouldn't happen again.

When Frisk looked back up, they were by a river with a boat in front of them, the rider on it draped in a cloak, covering their whole body. No matter how hard they squinted, they couldn't see their face, even when they turned to meet the gaze. It was as if darkness itself wore that hooded garment.

"Tra la la, I am the river man. Or am I the river woman...? It doesn't really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?" This strange person seemed to be talking straight to Frisk, though Asgore was the one to answer back.

"Yes, we were hoping you could take us to Hotlands. Would four of us still be alright?" The river person merely nodded. The boat was surprisingly stable as everyone got on, though with it being so small the children had to sit on the laps of the parents. Asriel took his mom's, resting against her, leaving Frisk to take a seat on Asgore's lap. His large arm came around them, holding them softly yet firmly in place so they wouldn't fall off the boat. Frisk couldn't remember a time they felt safer.

"Then we're off..." The river person said as everyone was settled. Suddenly the boat grew a dog face and legs, and without warning took off down the river. Everyone except Frisk seemed to anticipate this, and they were glad Asgore had held them. They were a ways off before the river person spoke again.

"Tra la la. The waters are wild today. That is a good sign." They seemed to talk to no one in particular, and Frisk had no idea what it could mean. They'd have to ask later, once they weren't all traveling.

In no time, they were pulling up to a piece of land with an orange staircase leading up. As they reached it, Frisk felt a wave of heat wash over them, suddenly very uncomfortable in their jacket. Everyone else looked equally ill at ease, and Frisk was led to a large building off to the side with the word LAB written above the door, which opened automatically as the group neared.

Inside it was dark, too dark to see much at all. Frisk barely knew the direction they were headed. Asgore said something about a light switch and headed off into the room, with Toriel telling Frisk and Asriel to stay close. However, Frisk couldn't see them now and walked forward hands held out as if they were blind, trying to find someone to stick with. After a few moments of shuffling forward, they heard the sound of another automatic door opening to their left.

The single light inside the tiny room illuminated a lone figure from behind, shrouding their front in darkness. From what Frisk could see though, they were draped in a black longcoat, darker than even the room. The top of the head was unnaturally white, as were the two bony hands in front of them. Two small white lights looked at Frisk from where the person's eyes should have been, and a strange smile was barely visible in the light.

Frisk let out an ear-splitting scream and tried to back away, falling down in the process. A pale hand moved towards them, Frisk scrambling back against the wall behind them, wanting to turn around and run but not able to take their eyes off the figure. Several sets of footsteps drew closer in a rush along with two small flames, one a red and yellow, the other a white flame with a black core, casting light around them.

Asgore was closer and scooped Frisk up in their free hand, Toriel arriving a second later, the odd colored flame making her features dim at best in the dark lab. The figure, for their part flinched away at the sound of the scream before reaching out to the switch next to the door they emerged from, turning on all the lights in the main lab room, letting everyone see just what had caused all the trouble.

"Dr. Gaster, that is a horrible way to make a first impression." Asgore said to his royal scientist and the creator of the Core. Frisk clung to him as if their life depended on it, which they believed it did since there was a tall skeleton standing in front of them. Instead of responding like normal, this Gaster monster moved their hands, creating magic symbols in the space in front of himself.

"Perhaps that will be an incentive to put light switches at the other doors. How that oversight happened while making this place, I will never understand." Toriel said in a rather annoyed tone, somewhat angry that everyone seemed to be out there to scare this poor child half to death after all they'd been through already. This was followed by a small bow from Gaster and more hand signals, then they turned back to Asgore and Frisk, looking at the latter for a moment, then more magic symbols.

 **Pointingdown Cross Bomb Peacesign Poison ?**

Asgore nodded, feeling Frisk slowly calming down, though their heart was still going crazy. Asriel came over and reached up, giving Frisk's foot a pat since that's the best he could reach.

"Yes. My son found them after they fell into the end of Home where the light comes in. They were alone and hurt, so we're helping them and taking them to New Home." The king said, with Gaster tilting his head, hand on his chin. Asgore knew that pose well, Gaster adopting it when his mind was racing with questions and possibilities. It was the same one that was struck before the blueprints of the Core were first jotted down.

 **Celticcross Pointingdown Peacesign Snowflake / Thumbsup Flag Frowning Flag Cogwheel / Droplet Flag Cross Frowning ?**

"Red." Asgore said plainly. Frisk had no clue what those symbols meant, though they felt it had to do with them. Asgore looked uncomfortable, not wanting to discuss such a thing with the child there. At this point, Toriel stepped in, clearing her throat.

"Perhaps it would be better to save any discussion like that for when we're not otherwise busy, Dr. Gaster." She said pointedly, arms crossed. Though she had a good relationship with the skeleton scientist, she was hoping to get to New Home soon, as well as still upset that he had scared Frisk so badly. Asgore set the human down, who stood behind him and took their jacket off. Gaster nodded, going to the computer on the table for a moment, enabling the elevator to the apartments outside the Core without having to go through the puzzles in Hotland. From there, they could take the Core elevator to New Home.

 **Cogwheel Pointingleft Peacesign Thumbsdown StarofDavid / StarofDavid Flag Cross Cogwheel / Bomb Peacesign Smile Pointingleft Droplet Snowflake StarofDavid  
**

"Thank you, Gaster. We'll come back soon to talk. And don't stay cooped up in the main lab, come by for some sometime." Asgore said as he shrugged off his coat, Toriel already having done so. The family went back the way they came, Frisk staying as far away from Gaster as they could, the idea of a living skeleton still shaking them, even after learning monsters and magic were real.

The rest of the journey to New Home was quick. Riding in an elevator that went up and down, as well as sideways, caught Frisk off guard and made them a little queasy, but the feeling passed soon. The apartment they went through had some monsters in it, most of whom bowed or waved to the group, and out the back was another elevator which took them to a long hallway overlooking a large city. Frisk felt like they'd been walking forever, but the scenery was breathtaking for them. Even though everything was a plain white, it was still an impressive sight.

The hallway then opened up into a wider area, and Frisk was confused as they approached a house that look very much like the one back in Home. In fact, once inside, they saw it was exactly like the previous one, only unpainted.

"Ah, feels good to be home again." Asgore said, giving a small stretch and shrugging his shoulders.

"But dear, we left Home earlier." Toriel replied, giving her best fake confused look. Asgore chuckled, making Toriel break her visage and grin too.

"You know what I mean, Tori."

"Well if we get another house, I'm naming it." They nuzzled noses again before looking at the children, Frisk smiling while squinting a bit because of habit, while Asriel's face was scrunched and his tongue stuck out. This caused the two adult monsters to laugh again before they headed to their rooms to change into something more comfortable for the house, Asriel pulling Frisk into his room to do the same.

Once again, there were various toys by the bed which didn't really interest Frisk, though the bed itself looked so comfortable. They felt if they were allowed on it, they'd never get up. Asriel opened the wardrobe beside the bed, revealing a lot of striped shirts. Seems the monsters take the 'children wear stripes' thing seriously. Though the more Frisk thought of it, the more sense it made. Some monsters were apparently pretty small, so being able to tell children from adults was handy.

Asriel handed them some shorts and a shirt with green and yellow stripes, taking a similar set for himself. They asked him to turn around again, waiting until he did so before changing. These must've been an older set, as they fit almost perfectly.

 _There's was no mirror in here, but if this house is similar, then there should be one in the hallway,_ Frisk thought. Indeed there was, down at the end. They looked themselves over and were a bit surprised. Where before was a dirty face with squinting eyes and tattered blue and pink clothes now stood what looked like a normal child. Clean hair and face, new(ish) clothes with no rips or tears that fit well, even a small smile. The only thing wrong with the picture was the red eyes. The eyes of...

 _No, that's not right. I'm not a demon. And even if they were, mo-Toriel said they were nice._ They didn't want to call her mom yet, though she was so nice that they wished they could. However, they remembered what had been said earlier. 'If Frisk cannot return home and they decide to stay with us, I'm sure we'd be happy to make them part of the family.' They didn't have a home to return to, not really. They didn't know why it was possible they couldn't leave, but they hoped that would be the case, and even if they could, they decided they didn't want to. However, there was a nagging voice in the back of their mind saying these monsters didn't want a human child, and would force them to leave if they found it was possible to be rid of them. They were staring at themselves intently and didn't hear the small footsteps coming up to them.

"It's you!" Asriel said, seeing Frisk looking in the mirror like there was a stranger on the other side. He kinda regretted it as Frisk jumped back, though after a moment they started laughing. The goat boy couldn't help but giggle back. It was in the middle of this that Frisk felt an urge, one that they'd been putting off since the other day.

"Asriel, does this house have a toilet? I need to go." Now that their mind was on it, the urge seemed to push to the front of everything else. Asriel just gave them a confused look, and their gut sank with the reply.

"What's a toilet?" How!? How could they not have a toilet, let alone never heard of one. Starting to panic now, Frisk knocked on the first door next to the mirror, which was Asgore's. The large monster opened the door and looked down, seeing Frisk now hopping from foot to foot with a worried expression.

"Howdy Frisk, what's wrong?" When asked him about a toilet, he had the same confused look on his face for a moment before recognition sank in. While monster food just dissolved, human food passed completely through a human, and monsters fully absorbed any liquid they drank. After a few days of living underground, Frisk would have one of their needs eliminated, and the other would be easy to take care of, but for now they needed a solution, and fast.

"Asriel, go get a bucket with a lid and bring it to the bath room. Frisk, wait in the bath room, then use the bucket for what you need. Make sure to put the lid on when you're done, then wash up in the tub. We'll find a way to dispose of the bucket." Asgore opened the door to the bath room for Frisk as Asriel ran off, coming back moments later with said lidded bucket. Frisk closed the door and took off the lid quickly, then set about their business.

A few minutes later, they walked out, the relief clear on their face. They handed Asgore the sealed bucket, and put the wet towel in a nearby bin. Toriel, who'd come out with a casual gown at the commotion, had been apprised of the situation and smiled at Frisk while Asgore went out, taking the bucket to Hotlands via elevator to make sure it was destroyed.

"Feel better, my child?" Frisk nodded, much more relaxed now. Toriel ushered both children into the main room, which again looked just like the other one in Home. She looked at the two as they sat down at the table after Asriel got some paper and crayons.

"I'm going to make something to eat, along with a desert to celebrate Frisk's arrival. By the way, which do you prefer, young one? Cinnamon or butterscotch?" Frisk shrugged.

"I've had cimmanan...cenmanon...cinnin...the first one before, but not the second."

"I see. Well, do you know if you have any food allergies?" Frisk shook their head at that, never having any trouble with any food they ever had.

"Splendid! Then wait just a little while and we'll have something nice." Toriel turned and entered the kitchen, taking a deep breath. She hadn't gotten used to cooking with the electric oven before now, but she'd try for Frisk.

The two kids were busy with drawing and coloring when Asgore returned home without the bucket. When a familiar scent hit his nose, he breathed in deeply, enjoying the fragrance he knew and loved.

"Mm, smells like your mom's famous cinnamon butterscotch pie." He said to Asriel as he walked into the main room. Suddenly a slightly different smell hit him as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Is something burning?" That's when he saw Toriel taking the half-baked pie from the oven, the outside burnt but the inside still raw. Toriel explained she wanted to cook like humans did to make Frisk feel at home, and Asgore reminded her that they had loved her cooking, even when it was made with fire magic. Both children were at the entrance to the kitchen and heard that, with Frisk walking in and going straight to Toriel, giving her a hug.

"I don't care how you cook something. I know it'll be just as good with magic." They said, looking up at her with a smile. Toriel smiled back, kneeling down to hug them. What a strange child, to have such a dark past, yet have so much love and affection to give.

"Thank you, young one. I'll finish in here, you all head back out. The pie will have to be redone, but the rest should be finished soon." She motioned to the pots and pans on the stove top, which were thankfully not getting the same treatment as the pie anymore. She'd finish with her white fire magic while everyone else tended to other things.

It wasn't long before Toriel called Asriel in to set the table, and Asgore had to move chairs, just like before. A delicious meal of stir fry was brought out, with everyone digging in. Frisk said it was the best meal they'd had in a long time, and while Toriel was sad about the implications of that, it still made her beam at the compliment. This time Frisk finished first and still seemed hungry, but didn't take any more. When asked if they wanted more, they nodded and were given another big helping. Then they were asked why they didn't ask for more when there was plenty.

"I'm usually not allowed more." They said quietly. Asgore let them know that, again, things were different in the monster kingdom, and they could have as much as they wanted. Frisk wasn't able to finish the second plate, but got close, and it was put in the fridge with the rest of the food for later. Asgore moved the chairs around again, putting Toriel's near the fireplace and lighting it. The flames were warm, even up close they weren't burning hot like a normal fire. Asgore even stuck his arm in it to move the wood around, scaring Frisk.

"It's all right, human. Magic won't hurt you unless whoever cast it wants it to, and hurting anyone is the last thing I want." Asgore then did it again, with Frisk tentatively following suit and found that indeed, the fire did not hurt them at all, the flames harmlessly dancing around them. After that, they all sat around in silence for a bit, enjoying the peace.

It was Frisk that finally broke it.

"Do...I have to leave?" They said in a low volume which a human probably wouldn't have heard, but the Dreemurrs, with their larger ears, caught just fine. All three turned to look at them, their expressions ranging from confusion to shock.

"Frisk, why would you think that?" Asgore asked, his deep voice low but still carrying well in the room.

"Earlier you all said if I couldn't leave, then you'd let me stay with you. That means you're going to try and make me go away, right?" They'd brought their knees up to their chest, head resting on the top with their face angled towards their lap, not daring to look at any of the others. Their breathing came in stutters as they held back tears, feeling they'd already cried enough for a long time and needed to be a big kid, and big kids didn't cry. Asgore was the one to reply.

"Frisk, child, we aren't going to make you leave anywhere. There is a barrier we cannot cross, but we thought that perhaps you might be able to. We were worried that there was someplace you had to return to, so we wanted to try and get you there quickly. If you would rather live down here and suffer, trapped with us, than live happily on the surface, then I promise you. For as long as you remain down here, my wife and I will take care of you as best we can." Frisk looked up at him, their red eyes taking on a glow all their own in the firelight, helped by the wetness quickly pooling at their edges.

"We can sit in the living room like now, telling stories, eating butterscotch pie. We could be your family." Asgore, and the others, watched Frisk as they took in every word. The voice that was in their head before, telling them they were going to be cast out like with everyone else they tried to get close to, was gone. They sprang to their feet, bounding over to Asgore and gripping him in a tight hug.

"I won't suffer here! I'm happier here than I ever was up there! I want to stay! I want you to be my dad, Toriel my mom, and Asriel my brother. I want a real family!" Despite their best effort, tears started falling again, only this time it wasn't just them. Toriel and Asriel had both come over, joining the hug, and there wasn't a single dry eye in the house. Asgore's next words made it official.

"Then welcome home, Frisk Dreemurr."


	6. Buttercup Pie

**Hello everyone. I want to apologize for this chapter taking over a week to make. Not only are the holidays busy right now, but I didn't want to publish it until I was happy with how it would turn out. I rushed the last chapter and it had several problems, so I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. I'm much more satisfied with this one.**

* * *

Both Dreemurr children stood in the kitchen, bouncing on their heels as they waited for Toriel to finish making the crust of the pie. She'd insisted on doing that, but the two would be allowed to mix the rest of the ingredients themselves. When they were done, she'd use her fire magic to bake it, giving Asriel a chance to learn that part.

She stepped away from the counter and the kids moved in, each using a step stool to reach everything. All the ingredients they'd need were out, though they had insisted on measuring them all themselves, thus Toriel had written down the instructions and set them next to the mixing supplies.

"Remember children, you must follow the directions exactly. This will show you are ready to begin learning simple recipes, as well as demonstrating your ability to measure precise amounts. Later, you'll be allowed to experiment with different amounts and types of things you add to the mix, but for now it's as simple as following the steps laid out before you."

Toriel watched with joy as both took to the lesson, helping each other as they read the directions, found the ingredients, got precisely the amount of each they needed, and mixed it together with the proper utensils. It was nice to be able to sit back and have someone else make something. Asgore tried now and then, and while he wasn't a bad cook, it wasn't quite up to her level. Besides, she enjoyed cooking, being able to use her fire magic to create something wonderful instead of just destroying it in flames. She was proud of finding a peaceful use for something many considered purely destructive. Her musings were cut short by the sound of the door opening and closing, with large footsteps entering the house.

"Oh no, your father's home early. I'll distract him, you two continue the mixture."

"Yes mom," they said in unison, chuckling as she hurried out of the room to intercept her husband. They kept going through the list and directions laid out for them, Frisk fetching the parts from the list and Asriel stirring. When they went to get the butter though, Frisk opened the container for it only to let out an "Uh oh."

"Azzy, how much butter do we need?"

"Hmm, says cups of butter: one. Why?"

"I don't think we have enough."

Sure enough, when Asriel looked in the container, they had maybe half of what they needed. They both were disappointed, since without that they couldn't finish the pie, and if they asked Toriel to get more it'd take long enough for Asgore to find out what they were up to. They also didn't wanna give up after doing so much already. They pondered the conundrum for a bit before Frisk snapped their fingers with an idea.

"Hey, the recipe says cups of butter, right? So why don't we use buttercups? The name is similar, so it has to be used for the same thing! Like how a popcicle is an icicle, but with flavor."

Asriel had tilted his head in confusion at first, but their sibling's logic made perfect sense. Why would they be called buttercups if they couldn't be used as cups of butter? "That's a great idea, Frisk. We've got lots of them in the garden. I'll put the butter we have in the cup, you get enough to fill the rest." He turned to grab a spoon for the butter as Frisk made to leave.

They looked around as they went, not seeing their parents in the living room or front room. Figuring they were in one of their bedrooms, or even outside, they snuck out quickly yet quietly, taking off for the royal garden. It was one of the only places, other than back in Home, where sunlight filtered in. Rows of different colored flowers grew all over except for a small part near the rear where two thrones sat, the king and queen having decided that a garden was a much more preferable place to speak with other monsters than some dusty stone room.

Frisk ran up to the yellow buttercups, grabbing two handfuls of them since they weren't sure how many would be needed, and made their way back. They took a glance at New Home along the way, watching as more areas were being built up, knowing one day the cave it was in would be filled with all kinds of buildings. As they were coming up the stairs, they heard talking down the hallway.

"Oh, King Fluffybuns had a great time with the kids. One even challenged him to a fight! Course the big guy accepted, and the tyke couldn't lay a finger on him. She didn't take it too hard, laughing by the end of it and even asked for lessons, wa ha ha! "

Ah, Captain Gerson was with them. Frisk grinned, knowing first hand that the royal guard captain could keep conversing with people for hours, even when they didn't want to. This made sneaking into the kitchen much easier, the old turtle monster providing a perfect distraction.

"Did you get them?" Asriel asked at seeing Frisk reenter the cooking area. Frisk opened their hands, showing several somewhat crushed flowers. The pair added the buttercups to the actual butter, using about eight of the flowers, setting aside the ones that didn't fit. It was all added to the batch, crushed and stirred in, and left in as the last of the stuff was poured in.

Not too long later, Toriel entered the kitchen to see two smiling faces, one human and one goat monster, and one finished bowl of butterscotch-cinnamon pie filling. She'd been able to excuse herself from Gerson with the excuse of needing to supervise the children, and it hadn't been a complete lie at least. Now she could finish the pie with them, showing Asriel how to bake using fire magic. Though she saw some flowers on the counter, she thought nothing of it as one of her children could've brought them in earlier.

With the pie all mixed and cooked, Toriel let it cool a bit before cutting a slice off and putting it on a plate, then went out to bring Asgore to the table. As the large king of monsters sat down, the two kids came out of the kitchen, one carrying the slice of pie.

"Look what we made, Dad!" Young Asriel exclaimed, putting the dish on the table in front of his father.

"Hope you like it!" A beaming Frisk said after, their face showing their hopefulness.

With a grin, Asgore took the fork from the plate and cut off a piece of the pie, looking forward to seeing how well his children were able to follow their mother's recipe. That turned into a grimace as the taste hit him, though he tried to keep his look positive. The children didn't seem to notice, but Toriel did, and she wondered just what the two could've done to mess up her recipe. She'd have to ask them later, but for now Asgore put on a brave face as he finished the slice of pie.

"That was...pretty good. Just need more practice to match your mom's cooking ability." Asgore said in as nice a voice as he could. Both kids nodded, hoping to be able to do as well as Toriel. Frisk couldn't help but scratch at his hands, the skin starting to become red and itchy. Asgore meanwhile got up and headed to the kitchen to get a drink, suddenly feeling as if his mouth was drying and growing warm. It did nothing to help, and the irritation kept growing and had extended to his throat too. He could even feel blisters forming in his mouth. Starting to panic, he came back out to the living room, the worried look on his face alerting the rest of the family.

"Gory, what's wrong?"

"Tori, get a doctor. I don't know what happened, but something was in the pie."

 _-X-_

 _Dear Journal,_

 _Dad says it's been three months since Frisk fell. Sometimes it seems like yesterday, and sometimes it seems like forever! The first night, when we became siblings, we all had pie and told stories in the living room. When it was time for bed though, they tried laying down in front of the fireplace. We were all so confused! I invited them to sleep in my bed like a sleepover, since I'd never had one before. I think they weren't used to sleeping in a bed, since they were slow getting in, but now they're much more comfortable with it. Dad's getting their own bed made, said it should be done soon. I'll kind of miss sharing my bed, but at least we'll still be in the same room!_

 _Mom and Dad told the rest of the kingdom that Frisk had fallen down here after a week, and that they'd be adopted as a member of the royal family. Some were afraid, but Mom assured everyone that Frisk wasn't a bad human. They even got to meet many of them, though not all at once. Mom takes them shopping with her, says it's helping them get used to crowds. I use that time to practice magic with Dad, he says my star magic is a special kind. When Frisk is home, they like to watch cause they don't have magic on the surface anymore._

 _Oh, we also tried to see if Frisk could go through the barrier, but nothing happened when they touched it. They looked happy about that for some reason. I'm sad they can't go back out and see the sun and stars and such, but I'm also happy I can stay a brother. They're the type of friend I always wanted, and I hope we'll be best friends forever!_

 _Tomorrow, Mom's going to teach us how to make a pie. She'll use her fire magic to cook it, but Frisk and I will put it together ourselves. It's supposed to be a surprise for Dad, so I hope he likes it._

 _~Asriel_

 _-X-_

Asriel and Frisk sat outside Asgore's room, listening as Toriel and the Doctor, a crow monster, talked on the other side of the door. They'd had to tell Toriel what they had done, using buttercup flowers in place of actual butter. She'd become very stern then, turning away from them as she trembled and, with a shaky voice, told them they were both in big trouble and that they had just poisoned Asgore. Asriel had started bawling, holding on to Frisk, who hugged their brother tightly. Now, they sat in silence, the weight of their sin crawling up their spines.

After a few more muffled words, the door opened and the doctor came out. When he saw the two children, he gave a quite "tck" with his tongue and a sad shake of his head before leaving. Toriel followed, letting him out and returning to the children.

"Your father is not doing well, but Dr. Crowley says he'll recover in a few days. It's fortunate you didn't use more flowers, or things could've been worse. Now go to your room, or outside, or some place where you won't disturb your father's rest." Toriel stated it all flatly, none of her usual warmth and comfort in her voice.

"Mom, I'm..." Frisk wanted to apologize, to say anything that could make it better, but the moment those words left their lips, Toriel turned to look at them with a glare. Frisk froze, turning cold as they looked up into their mom's eyes. She had that look, the same look they'd seen a million times back on the surface. One of anger, of holding back acting on an impulse to hurt them, the same look their aunt had when with them in public. They silenced themselves, bringing their knees up and hiding their face. After a moment, Toriel went back into Asgore's room without another word and shut the door.

"C'mon Frisk, let's go to our room." Asriel said in a near whisper, his mom's actions having rattled him. When Frisk made no movement, he reached down to help them up, only then did Frisk follow. Once in the bedroom, Asriel went to his toys to try and distract himself for a while. Frisk just sat on their bed and stared at the wall on the other side of the room in the same pose they'd been in, knees up and leaning against the wall behind them. They kept seeing that look in Toriel's eyes, memories of all the other times they'd witnessed it coming back.

Their aunt was usually the one with that glare, often accompanied by calling them a demon and a dirty parent killer, followed by a night filled with bruises. As they thought about it, they realized they'd done it again. They had nearly killed one of their new parents, the other was mad enough to think about harming them, and it was all their fault. They'd been the one to suggest buttercups, so they're the one that poisoned Asgore. They deserved to be treated harshly. They deserved to be hurt. They deserved to lose their family.

As these thoughts swirled about the human child's head, their soul slowly started to fade out of color. While it remained red, it was much more muted, with very little light coming off it. Their eyes as well lost their shine, dulling to an almost reddish grey. Their will to live, their determination, had drained from them. They remained motionless on the bed, even when Toriel later came in and dropped off two plates for dinner, Asriel practically having to feed them himself.

Frisk barely noticed as the next couple days went by. Their emotions, their attention, everything about them seemed to be numb and unfocused. They didn't move unless pulled or pushed somewhere, and then just stayed where they were moved to. They wouldn't eat until the food was put to their lips. They didn't respond when anyone said anything to them, seeming to not hear them. They heard though, they just weren't worth the time or effort. No one who would kill two sets of parents was worthy of anything. They felt like doing nothing and just wasting away, least then they wouldn't feel so horrible.

Once it was clear that Frisk was acting strange, Asriel took it upon himself to care for them. He took their hand and led them everywhere they needed to be, made sure they ate everything at each meal, and tried to include them in activities. When he was alone though, he'd break down and cry at the thought of having his father being sick and his sibling just stopping. He'd heard about something like this happening with monsters just giving up. His father called it "falling down" after they'd lost all hope and will to live, and it meant the monster wouldn't be around for long. When he asked his mom, she said that humans didn't work the same way and that Frisk would be fine, but he still worried.

To try and help, Asriel took Frisk to the garden throne room, hoping the flowers and real sunshine would help them feel better. The day spent there seemed to have no effect, Frisk just sitting there, unmoving. What he missed seeing though was the eyes. They'd focused on the buttercups in the garden, never looking away from them. The longer they stared, the more their heart and eyes reddened. However, it wasn't the usual bright, vibrant red but instead a deep, dark maroon.

That night, Frisk quietly left the bedroom, carefully opening the door to make sure it made no noise. Tiptoeing through the house, they found no one still awake and snuck into the kitchen. They opened the utensil drawer and reached in, pulling out a large knife before scampering out the back door to the throne room.

 _-X-_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _What a whirlwind it has been these last few months. A human falls into Home, is saved by my son, and becomes our second child. Never would I have thought something like this would happen, though I am happy it has._

 _Frisk Dreemurr has been a wonderful addition to our family. They love playing with Asriel, are very lively and affectionate, and have even taken an interest in magic and fighting. While we don't know if they can use magic, Asgore has promised to teach them how a fight works in the underground, and how to dodge and defend themselves in case a monster refuses to be reasonable. I wish I could just tell them to wait for us to resolve it, but we might not always be near. Though with the confidence they seem to be gaining, they might just try to flirt with their attacker as much as dodge them. The little dear even tried a line on me the other day. Hard to tell if it's pathetic that they think so low of themselves that they'd need to flirt with an old lady like me, or endearing that they would think I'm good looking enough to be worth trying.  
_

 _Asriel is almost like a puppy around them, and hardly ever leaves their side. I think it's helped Frisk a lot having someone there for them, though I do worry about them sometimes. When they stare into a fire, they get such a sad look on them, and when in a large crowd or when startled, they act as though something truly terrible is about to befall them. I'm sure this is from their upbringing, or lack thereof, on the surface. They haven't told us everything, but from what we have gleamed, they have had a sad life._

 _I can only hope that as time goes on, we can provide them what they were missing up there. They do seem to be doing better, and everyone's been nice to them so far, but as their mother I do worry, though I suppose I always will. Tomorrow though should be a wonderful day, as the kids will be making Gory a pie. I can't wait to see the look on his face._

 _~Toriel_

 _-X-_

Frisk looked at the garden before them, a veritable field of colors, but their eyes never strayed from the one that caused everything to fall apart. That sickly, bright color of lies and poison. The yellow rows of swaying blossoms had Frisk seeing red instead as they gripped the kitchen knife tighter, stepping up to the first of the offending blooms. With one swipe, the top popped off the stem and fell to the ground, the stalk now a bare green. The next flower fared a worse fate as the human gripped it in their free hand and pulled, yanking on the plant until the roots gave up and left the dirt. It was tossed aside to slowly die, as its kind had done so to their adoptive father. The third flower was turned towards them as if it had been watching them, judging them, mocking them. With a scream of fury, the child brought their foot down upon the little flower, the green stem bending and breaking while the petals were crushed and torn, the smashed remains filling the shoe imprint in the dirt.

Frisk's rampage was swift and brutal, with not a single yellow abomination being spared. They targeted not only the buttercups, but daffodils, lilies, and dandelions. After the days spent feeling nothing and doing only what was prompted, they had to admit that this felt good. The rage, the anger, the unbridled hatred of those pests beneath them, all culminating in a sense of dark glee as each plant fell, bringing a smile to their face, a twisted smile of one who found solace in the harm of others when they themselves had been harmed. They were unsure and uncaring of how long their reign of terror lasted, but as the last stalk fell to the ground, they finally looked over themselves. Their clothes were messy from the dirt that had been dislodged in their anger, their free hand was red and blistery, and the knife they'd taken was stained green and yellow.

Then their eyes saw their shirt, green and yellow stripes in the same color as those degenerate flowers. This could not stand, they would not tolerate themselves to have any association with those accursed things. Quickly pulling the shirt up and over their head, they threw it to the ground and pounced on it. That the fabric matched the palette of slain foliage and petals only fueled their onslaught, ripping and tearing and cutting until all that was left was scraps of cloth tossed about everywhere. Taking a look around, they found no more offending flowers and no linen pieces large enough to care about.

Panting from their exertions, they felt their body's strength drain from them, collapsing onto their hands and knees. They'd done it, they'd destroyed all the vicious little demons that had hurt them and their family. None of them would need to worry about that happening again...or would they? Frisk clutched their knife once again, realizing that there was something else in this very garden that threatened them all more than any number of yellow flowers ever could. One thing, kneeling there after demonstrating its natural destructive abilities and lust for violence, that was worse than any creature or monster could ever be.

A human.

So long as they were around, everyone else was in danger from them, but just like with those flowers, Frisk had the solution right in their hand. Willing their soul into the open in front of them, they eyed the heart shaped thing. It wasn't bright anymore, barely a trickle of light emanating from it. Raising their knife, they visualized what they were about to do, trying to steel themselves. All they needed was one good cut...

 _-X-_

 _Dear Journal,_

 _Nice day today!_

 _~Asgore_


	7. Heart Light

**Hello everyone to Chapter 7 of FirstTale. This one's a little shorter than some others, but I like the pacing a little more overall. Wanted to say thanks for all the kind words and comments for my previous upload. I wasn't sure if people would like that little side story with some potential spoilers in it, but it was well received.  
**

 **Also, just a little note. The next chapter might not be out for a few weeks, as I'll be out of town. I will continue it though, I'm having a lot of fun writing the story and have ideas for other chapters, just bear with me during a little break.**

 **Also also, sorry for any grammar guffaws. Writing was never my strong suit, and I have trouble seeing mistakes while reading and writing.**

* * *

Asriel yawned as he turned over in his bed, instinctively reaching for Frisk next to him. Feeling around and finding nothing, he sat up and looked around for his sibling, finding only an empty room and an open door. This wouldn't have been odd as Frisk had gotten up before for water or other reasons, but with the way they'd been acting recently Asriel wanted to make sure they were alright. Scooting off the bed, he tiptoed to the door, peering out into the hallway. The light in the washroom was off, so Frisk wasn't there, nor were they in the kitchen cause he didn't see a light that way, nor heard the sound of water filling a glass. Going into the hall and finding the front door locked, he started to worry. There weren't that many places in the house, so Frisk had to be outside, and with the front locked that left the back towards the garden/throne room. He lightly bounded down the steps and made his way out, on the lookout for his best friend.

He found them in the garden, but everything else he saw filled him with dread. A good portion of the flowers had been destroyed through various means, and Frisk was kneeling at the end of them, shirtless and holding a knife. Their back was covered in cuts, scars, and some scabs, and at the spot between their shoulders was a large red burn scar in the shape of a 't' that looked older than the rest. Something red was in front of them, glowing softer and brighter at odd intervals. Each time it got dim, Frisk would raise the knife, only for it to then brighten, causing them to tremble and lower the knife. As Asriel quietly stepped through the room, he got a better look at the item in front of Frisk.

It was their soul!

"Frisk, what happened?"

Frisk turned their head to look behind them, surprise evident on their face. Asriel was scared now, the worry evident not only in his tone of voice, but by the tears building up in his eyes. He didn't know what was going on, or why, but their sibling and best friend was trying to hurt themselves.

"D-did you d-destroy all the f-flowers?" He asked, stepping closer.

"STAY BACK!" Frisk yelled at him, stopping him in his tracks. This caused Asriel quite a shock, as they'd never raised their voice before, especially at him. This only caused him to start crying faster.

"W-what's wrong, F-Frisk? Why are you t-trying to h-hurt yourself?" He didn't understand it, he couldn't understand it. Frisk had been so happy to be with him and his family. While they had made a mistake, things were getting better with their dad, so Frisk should be glad that things would be going back to normal, right?

"Because I deserve it. I always hurt people that care about me, and make everyone else hate me. It happened with my first family, and now it's happening again with my second family." Frisk's soul was dimming as they talked while their grip on the knife tightened. Their head lowered, hair hiding their dim eyes. Asriel was taken aback not believing a word of it.

"But Frisk, n-no one hates you h-here..." Asriel tried to explain, but was cut off as Frisk took a breath and shouted...

 _-X-_

"Something's wrong!"

That thought caused Toriel to sit up straight in bed from a dead sleep. Breathing fast, she looked around in a near panic, half expecting something or someone to be in the room with her. A dark silence was all that her room held, and she let out a small sigh of relief. Even so, she couldn't shake the feeling that not everything was as it should be.

To set her mind at ease, and calm herself down enough to go back to bed, she decided to check on everyone else. Her pink nightgown hung loose from her frame, the hem barely off the floor as she moved, yet never getting in the way, having been perfectly made for her. She could see the bathroom light was off, so she didn't need to worr about that room. This made the first room she saw into was Asgore's. Peeking in, she saw the blankets on the bed moving up and down rhythmically in a way that assured her that he was as fine as could be, all things considered. She'd been so afraid of losing him to the poison, but he would soon be back to 100%.

She silently closed his door and made towards the next room, the one Asriel now shared with Frisk, only to stop for a moment as she saw the door was open. A twinge of fear crept back into her thoughts as she slowly opened the door and looked in, hoping the see the heads of her two children poking out the blanket they shared for now. Instead, the only thing on the bed was the blanket sloppily tossed aside. Now starting to panic, Toriel rushed off into the living room, hoping to find them in there, or perhaps the kitchen, but struck out with both options. The front door was locked when she tried it, meaning that if they weren't in the house, they'd have to be downstairs somewhere.

Making her way quickly, she went down the steps and along the pathway, intending to check the storage room to the right of the throne room/garden first, as children like to get into anything they can find. However, no sooner had she gotten to the split pathway than a sound made her stop dead in her tracks.

"MOM HATES ME!"

That was Frisk, no mistake about it, and they were in the garden, but why would they shout something like that? Sure, she'd been sterner than normal, but she hadn't done anything horrible, had she? She set off at a brisk pace, slowing as she entered the throne room. She saw both her children at the end of what was once the bright yellow flower patch, now nothing more than ruined clumps of dirt and the destroyed remains of said flowers. Most disturbingly of all though was the sight of Frisk's soul, the light glowing and fading, almost pulsing slowly and weakly. The moonlight that managed to filter into the room from the ceiling let her see the two kids, but was dim enough to keep her from their sight for the moment.

"Haven't you noticed how different she's been acting? She doesn't sing or hum anymore, she hasn't told us a story, she only makes food now when you say you're hungry. She's not herself, and it's all my fault. And then she'll do stuff for you, but she's completely ignored me. She won't speak to me, won't do anything with me, just walks right past as if I'm not there. I wish she didn't look at me though, cause I can see it in her eyes. The same look of hatred from humans on the surface."

That...that wasn't true, was it? She hadn't been ignoring her own children, she's just been stressed and busy looking after her husband. She'd talked to them earlier when she...no, it was when they...that wasn't it either. In fact, she realized she hadn't actually talked to them, really talked to either child, since before the accident. And what was that about her eyes? She didn't hate Frisk, she could never hate her child. Sure, she wasn't happy that they used buttercups in the pie, poisoning Asgore, nearly killing him, making her live without a husband and Asriel without a father, killing the king of monsters...

She looked down at her hands, surprised to find them clenched tightly and trembling. That train of thought had caused her to become so enraged that she couldn't stay near them before. It happened whenever she looked at Frisk, and they had noticed. It was said that the eyes of monsters let you see their soul, and her child had seen all the anger building within her. Understanding what had been going on now, she realized that anger had been growing into resentment, and she nearly wept at the thought that she could ever be so callous as to actually hate a child for an accident, something they couldn't possibly understand.

"I know what happens next. She'll tell everyone I nearly killed Dad, tried to poison him first and then you two. She'll make me stay away from the rest of you, and 'forget' to feed me. I'll lose everything, and I can't stand to have nothing again. That's why I fell down here in the first place. I told myself I was trying to find monsters or someone to live with, but really I wanted to disappear forever. But then I did find monsters, and you are all so much better than humans that I thought I could be happy, but because I'm human I messed everything up. I don't deserve to be happy, I don't deserve a family. I don't deserve to live!"

Toriel couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had become so heartless that she had pushed her adopted child, whom she'd sworn to protect with her own life, to the brink of killing themselves. Frisk had such a horrible life on the surface, with their parents passing away so quickly after their birth and everyone in their home blaming them, only for their life in the underground to start to mimic those same misfortunes. How could she have been so blind?

"My child, never say such a thing again." She stepped out of the shadow and into the moonlight that was cast over her children. Asriel openly wept, too upset to form coherent sentences to dispute Frisk's outburst, while Frisk looked up at Toriel with a sad and almost fearful look. Such a sight made her heart ache. "I won't have such blatant lying being said by one of my children."

Toriel's sudden appearance, and then her choice of words, had caught Frisk off guard again. They didn't know what to say or do, so they just turned away, once again exposing their back to Asriel, and now to Toriel. They heard her gasp at the sight, flinching at the memories of how each and every scar was made. For her part, Toriel saw not only the scars, but the knife gleaming in the dim light. It was stained yellow and green, giving her an idea of what happened to the flowers.

"Frisk, I promised I would take good care of you, that you would have a good life here." She moved closer, kneeling down in front of Frisk, not even caring that her clothes were getting dirty. "Yet these past few days, I have made this so difficult. Pathetic, is it not? I cannot properly care for even a single child." Her large paws went to her face, wiping her eyes.

"I was so afraid of losing my husband, of Asriel watching their father die in front of them." She reached out, pulling said boy to her and letting him weep into her gown. "The more I thought of it, the more afraid I became. That fear turned to anger towards you, my child. My expectations, my worry, my fear. I let them control me, but it wasn't right. You didn't poison Asgore, you just made a mistake. If I were angry at anyone who had made an error, I'd be mad at everyone. Heh, what a miserable creature I am, torturing such a poor, innocent youth." As she pat Asriel's back with one paw, she held out the other towards Frisk, who had turned their head back around at look at her. "Frisk, you deserve mercy, more than any of us do, and for you I will put everything aside. Won't you stay here a while, let us try again to make you happy?"

Frisk had been listening to Toriel, but their eyes stayed transfixed to hers, staring into them. Others had made promises of being better to them, but they'd always lied and Frisk had learned to read intentions in the way people looked at them. This time though, there was no anger, no hatred, not signs of betrayal. They saw only love. Taking a chance, they crawled forward, closer to Toriel and Asriel, their adoptive mother and brother. Once in range of her paw, she lay it gently on their head, a cool and relaxing feeling coming over them, realizing she was using some healing magic. They crawled forward again, this time quicker, until they were in the crook of her arm, wrapping their own around her.

"Frisk, I have no right to ask you to do this, but do you think, someday, you might be able to forgive an old woman like me for the way I treated you?" Her voice nearly faltered halfway through, so filled with worry and self anger for letting herself nearly become like those that had hurt their dear child in the first place. Her paw caressed their back, gently going over the lines of scars and burns, unsure if her healing magic was enough to erase them. She stopped as she heard a sob from her human charge, afraid she'd hurt them, only for them to look up, their beautiful red eyes wet and bright.

"Yes, yes I forgive you! Do you...do you forgive me?" Toriel could hear the desperation in their voice, tearing at her heartstrings. She pulled them and Asriel into a hug.

"There is nothing to forgive, young one. You made a mistake, like all children do, and no matter how bad that mistake is, or any others you may make, know that I will always love you." Three sets of eyes closed and rested against shoulders, letting their emotions spill out of them. Had any of them looked up at that moment, they'd have seen a red heart above them, shining brighter than the sun, washing the garden throne room in a rosy light. Frisk still didn't feel like they deserved anything, but with everyone else believing they did, they were determined to try to deserve it, moreso than they had ever been before.

Soon, Toriel, Asriel, and Frisk left the room hand in hand, the knife abandoned among the remains of the flowers. Toriel had noticed that only the yellow ones had been destroyed, and made a note to herself to plant a different color from then on. Asriel was happy nothing else bad had happened, and was ready for bed again, though they would ask about the scars later. Frisk was surprised they didn't feel ashamed about having their shirt off and their back seen, but rather felt a sense of relief that they didn't have to hide it anymore. As they came up to the house though, something caught their eye next to the door. It looked like a glowing star, shining brightly in a spot none had ever been before. The two monsters entered the house, seemingly unaware of the object. Frisk reached out and touched it, curiosity filling their mind.

Frisk LV1 2312:15

New Home – Exit

Save Return

Frisk LV1 2312:15

New Home – Exit

File saved.


	8. New Challenger

**I'm not dead, and neither is this story!  
**

 **Between a weeks-long time away from home and writer's block, it's been awhile since the last chapter. Been writing this one on and off for about 3 weeks now, going back each time to add details to sections or even rewriting them entirely. It's also my longest chapter so far, so please bear with it.**

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 _The knife dripped red as it was pulled out, two sets of eyes staring at each other. The first, red and looking up, while the second was brown and tilted down. The clean white robe was quickly turning crimson as the man staggered back, too shocked to let out much of a sound other than guttural groans. The child took a couple steps away, staring at all the blood now dripping down the barely-dressed man's front, sure they cut into something important. Before the man could react, they turned and fled out the room and down the stairs, hearing the man scream in pain as they were halfway down. They were thankful the man had told the rest of the people to head home, giving them an opportunity to escape._

 _Their footsteps echoed through the empty nave as they rushed through, the pews going by in a blur while they kept their red eyes on the large door ahead. Their own blood was pumping hard, their breathing the only thing they could hear. That changed once the door was opened, the falling rain making the night look even darker than normal. If they'd thought of it, they'd have realized this was perfect for them, as few people would be out in a storm, and the darkness and sound from the rain would help conceal their escape; however, the only though going through their mind was 'RUN.' So they did, heading off in a random direction as fast as their legs could carry them, knife clutched tightly in case anyone tried to stop them. Their hair was soon matted down on their head and face, water dripping all over. They saw not a single person or car, everyone shut inside their homes._

 _On and on they ran, panting and nearly faltering a few times from physical exhaustion, but they had to keep going. They weren't safe in this village. So they kept going, spurred on by the thoughts of what could happen to them were they caught. They barely noticed as pavement and sidewalks turned to dirt and gravel, then to grass, only slowing down once they passed enough trees that they could no longer see the lights of the town behind them. Only then did they allow themselves a respite, leaning against a tree as they worked to catch their breath, their clothes soaked through as the rain dripped through the canopy above. They looked down at the knife still in their hand, thinking back to what they'd done._

" _I...I did it. I think I really did it. I killed him. I stabbed something in that old pervert that he needs to live, and I never saw a hospital anywhere in this stupid town." A smile spread over their face. A strange, creepy smile, one that contorted their face, the little light peeking through the storm clouds and the distant town making it seem as if darkness itself seeped from their eyes and mouth. A small 'heh' escaped their lips, which turned into a chuckle, then giggle. As the first lightning bolt of the night flashed above them, the child laughed, their twisted cackling doing its best to be heard over the rain and thunder as they started moving again, unknowingly heading towards the place of no return, Mount Ebott._

 _-X-_

"We're heading out, Dad!" Frisk called out, hurriedly putting on their jacket and hat haphazardly while Asriel put on a pair of gloves. They'd made plans to see the red lizard monster and some others in the snow fields. Apparently one of them had invented a game of kicking a snowball over ice and into a hole, and they were eager to see who could get it done faster before finding something else to do.

"Alright, Frisk! Don't stay out too long, your mom will want you both to be back in time for dinner." Asgore called back out, getting the last of the sentence out just before hearing the two pairs of feet head downstairs. He let out a chuckle, amazed at the way his adopted child had changed in the year they'd been here. Where once they were quiet and overly self-deprecating, they now seemed to be quite chatty and eagerly took to everything and everyone. While the changes had been mostly gradual, the king could think of when it had truly started nearly nine months ago.

Asgore Dreemurr, leader of the monster kingdom, had accidentally been poisoned by his son Asriel and Frisk. Several days and nights of agonizing pain that slowly ebbed away as time passed left him bed ridden. In that time, his wife Toriel had been by his side the most, tending to him with all the care in the world. Frisk and Asriel came in too, but something was wrong. While Asriel looked sad at his father's predicament, Frisk just looked empty. It was the same look as monsters that had given up and were about to lay down and turn to dust. Well, perhaps empty wasn't the right word, as when he was able to catch Frisk's eyes, he saw glimpses of pain, sorrow, and despair. Though he couldn't bare to see the child in such a state, there was nothing he could to aid them, and could only hope that Toriel was doing her best to help them.

Days later, he felt well enough to leave the bed. After getting dressed and leaving the room, the large goat monster could sense something was wrong. Both Toriel's and the kid's doors were open, and the only light was coming from the living room fireplace, easily discernible from the way the light flickered. The sight that greeted him upon entering was an odd one indeed. Toriel sitting in her chair, asleep with a book in her lap, while Frisk and Asriel took opposite sides of her lap, nestled into the crooks of her arms, also asleep. Their faces showed clear signs of crying, and Frisk was shirtless and had dirt all over.

His not-so-quiet entrance roused the three dreamers. After rubbing the sleep from their eyes, both children hopped off Toriel's lap and ran to him, throwing their arms around him and nearly bowling him over. After returning the hugs, and assuring his wife he was fine, he looked down and saw Frisk standing in front of him, looking solemn but determined.

"Dad, I...I'm sorry." They stated, eyelids closed except for a small slit to see from. Normally this is when Frisk would look down to hide their face, but they'd forced themselves to look up. Being so tall, Asgore could also see all the scars along their back, realizing that's why the child never took their shirt off before. "I'm sorry I hurt you, and I'm sorry I killed the flowers."

"And?" Said Toriel, looking at Frisk.

"And I'm sorry for tearing up one of Asriel's shirts."

Asgore looked between Frisk and Toriel, completely confused. "Frisk, there's no need to apologize for the first of those. I trust you enough to know that you'd never hurt me or anyone else like that purposefully. As for the other two, I think I need an explanation." He sat on one of the chairs by the table and listened to the story of how first Asriel, then Toriel found Frisk in the garden, having destroyed all the yellow flowers, and how the all reconciled afterwards. The trio left out the part of Frisk attempting to harm themselves, believing that wouldn't help in any way.

"I don't deserve anything I have down here. I've done nothing but cause everyone I know pain and trouble. But I'll do my best to start deserving it. I promise to make you proud." Frisk had said. While both parents and sibling disagreed with the not deserving part, Asgore couldn't help but hear the strength and conviction in the human's voice, and since that time not a day had gone by that Frisk didn't live up to the promise. In the time since, they'd really come out of their shell, embracing their life underground. They would introduce themselves to any nearby monsters eagerly. Asgore thought there wasn't a monster in New Home that didn't personally know the child now. They could even go to the market alone, though the royal guard was tasked with keeping an eye on them.

Now, with Asriel providing a distraction by getting Frisk to play in the snow with the few children from the small town outside the exit to Home, Asgore busied himself setting up decorations. It had been a full year since the child fell into their world below the surface, and the royal family wanted to show Frisk just how much they were loved. It also acted as an impromptu birthday celebration, since neither the Dreemurrs nor Frisk themselves knew what day they were born on. While Asgore was tasked with setting up the supplies and Asriel kept Frisk away from the house, Toriel was in charge of most of the food, and especially the cake. She'd outdone herself, finding as much chocolate as she could (a very rare item in the underground) and used it to bake a delicious-looking cake, including chocolate frosting. Asgore thought she'd found every scrap of the dark sweets in the kingdom. It was a feat making it without Frisk discovering, but the last touches would be put on while they played.

Other monsters soon started wandering in. A family of Loox, whom Frisk had befriended after not bullying them; several Whimsums that fluttered in a corner, away from everyone else; even a Moldsmal, attracted in by all the commotion. Soon the house was full of various creatures, most of whom had brought something to eat for the occasion, as well as being given small jobs to do. The Loox were great for spotting if anything was out of place or dirty. Whimsums could hang decorations easily. A few Froggits were put on guard duty to warn everyone when Frisk was on the way back, but they were sure there was plenty of time to make everything perfect. After all, it wasn't every day a child just falls into your home.

 _-X-_

" _Stupid cult, stupid town, stupid mountain," The child grumbled, climbing ever higher, making sure their footing was secure so there wouldn't be another accident. Their bruises, scrapes, and cuts were a testament to their determination...or their stupidity, they were still on the fence about that. Still, they continued on, putting as much distance between them and that town full of crazies behind them._

 _Foot, hand, foot, hand, one after the other they went, climbing up a particularly difficult and steep section, made even harder by their famished state. They'd managed to pilfer a water bottle and some food from a small campsite at the base of the mountain, but had to hightail it when they were spotted. Sure the news of them heading that way would eventually reach the townspeople, they kept on the move, sleeping only a few hours over the two nights they'd been going. Now though, the bottle had been empty all day while the food was long gone, and they weren't sure how much longer they could climb before becoming too tired._

 _They remembered hearing rumors of someone else going this same way. A 'demon child' that had run away after killing their parents or something, only for them to climb the mountain and never return. The theories were wild, everything from them doing human sacrifices up there to being devoured by monsters, but that was ridiculous. Monsters weren't real, at least not the ones from legends. Instead, humans were the monsters, and a smile came to their lips still when thinking they'd killed one of the worst kinds._

 _They pulled themselves up to a plateau, sprawling onto their back after climbing up fully. They panted, muscles aching all over, crying out for a rest and the child obliging. They'd get up to find a decent spot to stop and sleep a bit, but for now they just needed to stop. Looking to the side, they could just make out the town they left. They thought back to that night, following the 'matron,' as she called herself, out of the dorms. She said the presence of another red-eyed demon concerned the pastor and he wanted to talk to them. With nothing else to do, they'd gone along with it, though pretty miffed at the choice of words to describe them. Wasn't the worst they'd ever heard, but they still didn't like it._

 _When they both made the walk to the church, the child expected to talk to the pastor in the main room. Instead, they were led to the side and up a stairway, which apparently went to a sort of off ice and break room for the pastor. They were pushed inside where the pastor sat on a small bed in what seemed to be nothing but a pure white robe. Confused, they turned around to inquire with the matron, only to have the door shut in their face. They turned back, wide eyed, as the man looked them up and down with a salacious look._

" _Now child, no need to fear. Do as your told and you'll leave here mostly unharmed. Struggle though, and you'll see what happens to evil demon children here." His tone was cocky and low, as though he'd done this many times, and they were sure he had. He hadn't counted on them having a hidden knife though. The child had been through this before, but this time was determined to make it different, and did they ever. They would never let anyone touch them like that again, or they'd make that person regret it just as much as the dirty old preacher. The look on his face as he saw the knife stuck in him would stay with them forever, making them grin as they finally got up and moved, sitting up against a boulder to take a couple hours rest._

 _-X-_

The snow crunched softly under the two sets of feet as they tread along the well-worn path, heading for a large clearing where a few other monster children waited. Frisk had to squint as the white powder reflected light much better than dirt, causing it to hurt their eyes when open fully. They didn't mind, they could see just fine this way since they squinted most of the time up on the surface. Their brown hair was hidden underneath a bright yellow woolly head-cap to make them easy to see as well as keep their head and ears warm, while a matching scarf was tied loosely around their neck. They'd taken their favorite jacket, a blue one with two pink stripes going around it, and gloves that matched their other accessories. A pair of insulated denim pants and yellow boots finished off the look.

Meanwhile, Asriel had a much lighter red jacket with yellow stripes, no hat or gloves, and a pair of denim pants and brown boots. Frisk was jealous of their brother's fluff, thought he was happy to share it when it got cold at night or just to snuggle up by the fire when listening to a story. Even though Frisk had their own bed, the two could often be found together on colder nights in one or the other's bed. At the moment though, the goat prince went with his sibling to meet the other kids, having convinced them to keep Frisk busy for as long as possible, or at least until they got the signal the party was ready.

"Yo! You made it!" Looking out as they crossed over a small bridge leading to a large patch of ground cleared of snow, the two Dreemurrs saw the small gaggle of children, including the red dinosaur with no arms. After the first awkward meeting a year ago, Frisk had become friends with the top-heavy lizard, as well as nearly every kid in the underground. The other two kids with him were a purple rabbit and a rather round brown bear. All of them wore striped shirts of different colors, as was customary in the monster kingdom to let anyone seeing them know they were still youths. The only other person nearby was a royal guard dog who stayed by a trio of trees to keep an eye on the prince and his sibling, as well as the general area. Only his black and brown splotched head and tail were visible, and he had a stern look on his face, but all the kids knew he enjoyed watching them play, and would sometimes join in himself.

"We were just finishing setting up. Abonie was going to make the first snowball." Monster Boy said, indicating the rabbit girl nearby, who hopped up from pushing the snow around to give them a friendly wave before pushing the round snow pile to the beginning of cleared patch of ground. She backed up a ways, then tapped her feet in the snow a few times before jumping three times towards the snowball. "A hop, a skip, and a jump, and away we go!" On "go" the bunny kicked the ball, seemingly trying to get it into the hole in one try. The ball bounced off the snowbank on the other side, heading down towards the ice patch, where it lost steam and stopped in the middle of. Her ears drooped a bit, disappointed it didn't at least get closer.

"You got it, Abonie!" "Bet it'll go in with one more kick." Frisk and Asriel cheered her on from the sidelines as she set up for a second try. She had to be quick though, because the snow was starting to fall off it, the first kick knocking a bunch loose. She wound her foot up, one eye closed as she tried to judge the distance, and swung. Her foot impacted the snow and sent it towards the hole, but her momentum caused her to slip on the ice and fall flat on her back with an squeak. She was about to pout when she heard the little jingle they set up on the hole, and saw a flag pop up from it after sitting up. The others clapped and cheered, making Abonie blush and beam at the same time.

The others took their turns one after another, being joined by Abonie's sister in the middle of the games, a little bit younger white rabbit named Adoe. After a couple runs from everyone, with none being able to best the first win by the purple bunny, they all decided to build a snowman. The bear, Grizzle, suggested making it on a vista so it'd have a nice view, which everyone agreed to. The bigger bear made getting enough snow easy, as well as putting the snowballs in place. Monster Boy provided the carrot with a lunch his mother provided, and the rabbits found some small black stones for face and buttons. Once done, they all stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"I think he'll be happy here." Adoe said, thumping her foot to accentuate the statement. Everyone agreed, though Frisk added "It's too bad it can't really go anywhere else. Bet it would like to see the rest of the underground." That put a more somber mood over everyone as they left, leaving the snowman to contemplate their words in the clearing from when they created him. After a ways, Asriel fell back behind the group a bit, scooping up some snow without anyone seeing. Rolling it into a ball, he wound up took aim, and with a shout of "STAR BLAZING!" let it loose, pegging Frisk in the back of the head. The others gasped as they turned too look between the grinning goat boy and the human, who stopped moving completely.

"Did I just get sneak attacked," They said, bending down slowly and scooping up their own bit of snow, "by the God of Absolute Hyperdeath himself?" Frisk rolled the snow, making more of a snow decahedron than a ball. "That's right, puny mortal! Now give up, or I'll have to use more of my amazing attacks to defea..." The rest of his words were cut off as the snow decahedron splat right against his muzzle, Frisk laughing across from him. Asriel rubbed his nose, wiping away the cold snow. "Ack, my snoot. This means war!" The ensuing snow-based chaos went on for hours, with free for alls, teams and alliances, betrayals, and general mayhem taking place. In the end though, all six children lay on the ground, exhausted and covered in snow.

What they didn't see was another guard come by and say something to the other before walking back the way she came towards Home. The first came up to the children, helping them up. "Young prince, perhaps it is getting late to be out." He said to Asriel, giving him a wink. The goat grinned and nodded, turning to Frisk and taking their hand. "C'mon Frisk, dinner's probably done by now." Frisk shook off the snow from their jacket, cheeks a rosy red from the weather and play time. The others followed suit, and made to follow the two as they made their way to Home. Curious, Frisk asked why, but only got answers of walking them home and wanting to see the king and queen. They made sure to touch the star on the way back in, having become a habit each day now.

Upon entering the long hallway leading to the house, the group was greeted by a froggit, who croaked a somewhat loud greeting to them. Frisk could swear they heard more croaking further down the hall, and indeed there was another froggit a ways off, then another. They extended all the way to the stairs, where the last one gave another loud greeting to the gaggle of children. Upstairs, everything was dark and quiet, which was odd as Asgore and Toriel should've been home. Asriel didn't seem worried at all though; in fact, they seemed eager to lead Frisk to the living room. Frisk followed, not sure exactly what was going on.

They got no further than a couple steps into the living room when the lights lit up and a roomful of monsters shouted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY," followed by cheers and claps, causing Frisk to nearly jump back, eyes going wide. Asriel couldn't help but look at his sibling, practically bouncing in glee. "What do you think Frisk? Did we surprise you?" They could only nod as they looked around, seeing all the party supplies and decorations everywhere, as well as all the smiling monsters of all types around the room. Toriel was the first to come up to them, wearing a colorful little cone hat and holding another in each hand for her children.

"My child, it has been a year this day that you have been with us. While we wish circumstances had been better leading up to then, we hope you've been happy down here. We wanted to celebrate your time down here, but we also realized we didn't know your birthday, so this year we're doing both. We hope you don't mind." She put the hats on Frisk and Asriel as she talked, then waited for a response.

"I've...never had a birthday before. I was never told when it was and no one wanted to have one with a...with me." They answered back, looking around the room again. "Is this really all for me?" They were dumbfounded that not only was someone doing something for their birthday, but they had a whole party thrown just for them.

"Of course it is. We're all here to have a great time with you, and to celebrate you joining our family." Asgore said as he came over too, giving Frisk a pat on their back. "Go ahead and talk to everyone, play some games, and eat, but be sure to save room as your mother made a special treat for later." Frisk nodded and gave their parents a strong hug each, then bounded into the room to join the festivities. The rest of the day was spent enjoying good food, good friends, and some bad laughs as Toriel and Frisk started a pun competition. There were some surprising faces among the crowd, including Captain Gerson from the royal guard who was telling stories about his time before being captain, and somehow even Doctor Gaster was convinced to step away from his lab for the night. The tall skeleton was quiet, not really joining conversations, but he still seemed to be enjoying himself. Frisk was still not completely comfortable around him, but the two had warmed up to each other, or at least Frisk thought so. They still couldn't understand a word he said though.

A while later and the presents came out. Each was wrapped neatly in colored paper, with bright bows holding them together. Frisk almost didn't want to open them, wanting to keep them closed so they could always have a birthday gift, but their curiosity won over and they ripped the paper open from each one. They got various things, from clothes to candy, and said thank you to each monster in turn. They even got a gift from Gaster, a brand new cell phone, one that had a flip cover. That made Asriel a little jealous, though Asgore told his son that he'd get one on his next birthday if he was good. Asriel grinned, knowing that of course he'd be good enough to get it.

After the gifts, monsters started to slowly make their way out of the house, needing to head home or just getting tired. After the last on headed out, Asgore headed to the kitchen and returned with a covered tray. Toriel and the kids sat at the table while Asgore set the tray down and took off the top. Inside was a plain chocolate cake, but in Frisk's eyes it was the best looking cake they'd ever seen because it was theirs. "Frisk, your mother had a quite a time finding so much chocolate for this cake, since you said you never had it before she wanted to surprise you. However, if it turns out you don't like it, just let us know. We won't be disappointed, because at least you got to try chocolate once." At first Asgore cut it in half, then cut one side into even quarters for each of them, setting them on plates one at a time, the dark brown frosting revealing the darker cake layer as it was cut into pieces. Once everyone was seated, Toriel motioned for Frisk to try their slice first. Picking up their fork, they cut a small chunk off, making sure to get both cake and frosting, and putting it in their mouth.

The taste, the creaminess, the texture...it was all so perfect! Frisk savored the bite they took, mouth watering as they chewed the sweet treat. The look on their face was one of near bliss, and Toriel beamed with pride as she looked on. "Well Frisk, it looks like that settles the question of whether you like chocolate or not." The family let out a small laugh before taking their own first bites, enjoying the extremely rare treat. It was all Frisk could do to not grab their piece and shove the whole thing into their mouth, realizing that they probably wouldn't have something like this for another year, if not longer. So they took smaller, deliberate bites, enjoying the cake as long as they could. Even so, it was over far too quickly, the last of the cake dissolving in their mouth and leaving their plate empty.

With dessert finished, the Dreemurr family gathered around the fireplace to listen to a story, though Frisk was allowed to pick which. They chose one of their favorites, a fairy tale about a knight tasked with slaying a dragon, only for both of them to talk and discover they could help each other, the dragon becoming a guardian of the kingdom and the knight acting as their caretaker and riding companion. As the story finished, two sets of sleepy eyes were rubbed, a clear sign it was time for them to go to bed. Once both children were tucked in, the king and queen said good night, rubbing noses together as they took to their own beds. Thus they concluded what they hoped was Frisk's best day ever, or at least the best one since falling.

 _-X-_

 _They were after them! Several people were following, climbing after the child as they stayed ahead, doing their best to get away. One of them had already been cut pretty badly by the knife the kid had, so instead of trying to just grab them, they were going to surround them. The little red-eyed murderer wasn't making it easy though, staying above and ahead of their pursuers. It seemed like each time there was a chance of nabbing them, the brat somehow found a way out._

 _Indeed, the child was practiced at getting away from someone trying to catch them. Even when tired, hungry, and thirsty, they were still able to stay ahead of the adults, if only just. However, they couldn't keep it up all night, especially in their condition. If they didn't find help or a place to hide soon, they were as good as caught, and there was no telling what the maniacs from the town would do to them._

" _Gotcha!" Exclaimed one of the men as they grabbed the child's shirt, attempting to pull them back. Instead, the kid spun around and sunk the knife into that hand, quickly pulling it back out and darting off to the sound of yelling and expletives. Coming up to a more flat part with a bunch of trees, they zigzagged their way between them, attempting to confuse their attackers. They then ran behind what they thought was a large rock, only to discover it was a cave entrance. Thinking they'd be safe hiding in a dark cave for a while, they looked back to make sure no one had seen them. In doing so, they missed the tree root sticking up from the ground and tumbled, not onto the ground, but instead into a large hole, their scream fading as they fell, leaving those looking for them no clue as to their fate_

 _It took roughly six seconds for the child to fall, in which time they had just enough time to cry out for help and brace themselves for impact, though they knew it was pointless. At that height, once they hit the ground, they'd be done for. A slight change in the sound of the wind rushing by was the only indication of the ground rushing up to meet them, making them flinch one final time..._

 _Only to spring back up a few feet, then come back down and land safely on their back. They didn't believe it at first and kept their eyes closed, somehow still clinging to the blood-soaked knife. A few minutes went by as they calmed down enough to open their eyes and look around. First thing they saw was the moonlight above, or at least some of it, the cave blocking most of it. They must have been a good five hundred feet down at least. Then they scanned the pit, not surprised at seeing nothing but rocks and a doorway and...wait, there's a doorway? Looking down finally, they saw what broke their fall; a cluster of fall, densely packed yellow flowers that seemed to be propping them up. Testing one by pushing it down, the stem bent under the force, only to spring back up once let go. They couldn't help but think that maybe these were put here on purpose just in case someone fell, but was that really something that happened often enough to need some kind of safety assurance?_

 _Their stomach, oblivious to the plight that just occurred, started to rumble, reminding them it had been two days since they'd eaten anything. Groaning, they were able to roll off the conveniently planted flowers and make their way to the doorway ahead of them. If there was a door, there had to be someone that made it. Perhaps if they were sneaky, they could take some food and water and get out of the caves without being noticed. The door led to a dark room with a small section of light, with another doorway beyond. This one led to a bright purple room with two sets of stairs, both leading up to another doorway. The next room had an open door and some odd looking stones on the ground, which they avoided and just went on through. A purple hallway greeted them next, only this one had water flowing in it. They were so thirsty after everything that had happened and ran to it, cupping their hands and bring the water to their mouth. After a few minutes of this, they felt quenched enough to continue._

 _The following rooms all had the same color scheme, as well as switches on the walls, though they weren't sure those did anything as nothing was in their way. One overly long hallway got on their nerves a bit, but otherwise the walk was peaceful. Once they stepped out of the hallway though, a loud "Ribbit" made them jump in surprise and hold out the knife. Looking down, they saw the strangest looking frog, who looked back at them, or more accurately the knife. With another "Ribbit" it hopped off into an adjacent room. Looking in, they saw a pillar in the middle of the room, and a splash let them know the frog hopped into one of the sides of flowing water._

" _Huh, that was weird. Never heard of a frog like that," they mumbled to themselves. Walking back out and down the new hall, something flit into view in front of them. The yell of surprise from them caused the thing to cry and fly off, leaving them even more confused than before. Now more cautious, they continued on through the rooms, finding what looked like were supposed to be traps or puzzles of different kinds, but none of them were turned on. They saw some more of the strange frogs and flying things, but none of them came near. After several room though, a strange slime got in front of them. They got ready to attack with their knife, but the thing didn't come at them. Instead it just kept wiggling like gelatin. After a minute of this, they tried wiggling their hips back, which seemed to satisfy the thing as it then moved on._

" _I must've hit my head or something," they mused, continuing through these rooms as they wondered just how the rooms were lit when they didn't see any lights at all. A couple branching paths took them to dead ends, though one gave them a view they'd never forget; an entire town, built underground in a large cave system. They saw no way down though, so after a couple minutes of awe, they went the only other way. This path led them to a tree which was looking like things weren't going so well. The bark was starting to turn black, and a good portion of the leaves were turning red. Standing next to it, they looked beyond to a house, but it made them pause. The house took up the entirety of the end of the way, meaning they couldn't go past it. Before they could build the courage to try to open the front door, it swung open, making them dash fully behind the tree._

 _-X-_

Frisk rolled over in their bed, tired but unable to sleep. The excitement of the day played on repeat in their head, keeping them from fully conking out. With a sigh, they opened the covers and tiptoed to the door, opening it as quietly as they could to keep anyone from hearing. Slipping out, the pajama-clad human made for the kitchen, looking to grab a glass of water. Upon entering though, they saw the cake left out on the counter, in all of its chocolaty goodness. Frisk underwent a battle of will, part of them wanting to just get the water and go, and another thinking that no one would miss a small piece from the rest of it.

They walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water and thin slice of chocolate cake on a plate, having lost to their sweet tooth. It wasn't every day they got a cake, much less one as delicious as this, and they wanted to enjoy it once more. As they put the drink on the table though, something outside the window caught their eye. They could just make out something moving in the dim light next to the tree, as if watching the house. Frisk couldn't really see who or what it was and crept quietly to the door, thinking maybe it was a monster that missed the party. The door gave a small groan as it opened, and Frisk had just enough time to see that whatever had been beside the tree had darted behind it. They thought it might be a Whimsum, though if so it was a very big one.

"Hey, it's ok. You can come out," they called. They heard shuffling behind the tree, but whoever was behind it wasn't coming out, though now Frisk knew it wasn't a Whimsum. This person was a little more scared or stubborn, and now Frisk was really curious. They just had to find a way to get them to show themselves. They didn't want to go behind the tree themselves if the other was afraid of them. Looking down to think, they saw that they were still carrying the slice of cake, and though they didn't really want to do it, they decided to try. "If you come here, I'll share this cake with you. Mom made it with lots of chocolate, it's really good."

That seemed to do something, as there was more shuffling, then something peeking from behind the tree, though not enough for Frisk to identify what kind of monster it was. They held the plate up, showing that there was indeed a piece of chocolate cake on it. They heard a small gasp, then the person withdrew back behind the tree. Frisk gave them some time to think and was rewarded with hearing footsteps moving to the side. "Howdy! I'm Frisk, and who...are..." Their voice trailed off as the person stepped fully from behind the tree.

It was a child, a human child. Their hair was a messy brown, eyes wide and showing off a bright shade of red. They were pale and had bright pink cheeks, and their clothes seemed warn and torn all over. They seemed like a twin of Frisk's when they first fell. As Frisk looked more though, they saw a metallic glint come from one of the other's hands, a red-stained knife held firmly as they looked back. Finally, the other human took a breath and replied.

"I'm Chara, and I want that cake."


	9. Mirror Image

**Welcome to chapter 9 (officially). Thanks for your patience while I worked on this one. It's another long one, so get comfy.**

 **It's taken me a while to complete this one because a lot of it has been rewritten several times. However, I'm happy with the final result, and hope you will be too.**

* * *

Chara stood there, looking at the pajama-wearing child in front of the door to the underground house, holding the object of their desire: a a slice chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. They had full intention of eating the whole thing and then demanding the rest from the kid, figuring it'd be easy to take what they wanted just like in the orphanages. All they had to do was assert their authority, beat down anyone who challenged them, then they'd get what they wanted along with some other tougher kids. They took a step towards the squinting kid, their own red eyes set on the delicious prize, only to watch as the chocolaty goodness was pulled away, the other kid holding it to their side away from them.

"Put the knife down, then I'll share," Frisk said in a stern voice. Here was a human, fresh from the topside, with a bloody knife and horrid looking grin on their face. The way they acted reminded Frisk of the crueler people on surface, like the ones that held them down and put the burn mark on their back. There was no way Frisk would trust someone like that with anything, much less let the little maniac near them or their family. They put one foot behind them, making it easier if they wanted to turn and flee into the house, taking the precious cake with them.

Of course, Chara noticed the change and briefly thought of charging at the other and taking the cake, but wasn't sure if they could get to them in time with how worn out and hungry they were. Then there was the chance the cake could get dropped or destroyed if the other kid struggled. Instead, they just looked at Frisk and smiled. "I'm not going to get rid of the only thing that's kept me safe, but if it makes you feel better, I'll put it away." With that, they slid the knife handle-up into their pocket, then held their hands out at their sides to show they were otherwise unarmed. That seemed to make the kid relax a bit as they let out a sigh and stepped forward a couple steps, setting the plate on the ground and backing up. Chara wasted no time in closing the gap, picking up the plate in one hand, then the cake in the other and stuffing as much into their mouth as they could. After a couple days without food, a chocolate cake was an amazing first meal.

Frisk watched this new human eat...no, devour the slice of cake like a starving animal, which Frisk remembered they were similarly hungry when they fell. Seeing it happen to someone else was almost heartbreaking, if the other person hadn't appeared with a knife in their hands. Still, they'd been reasonable, so Frisk would be too. Seeing Chara scooping up the last bits of frosting on the plate, Frisk was about to ask if they wanted to come in for some more, when Chara suddenly reached out with the hand not holding the plate and grabbed their shirt.

"Alright, now I want the rest of the cake, so you're gonna take me inside, give it to me, and let me walk out with it," Chara said in the most intimidating voice they could muster, their wide red eyes staring at Frisk's squinting ones. _"This is gonna be easy, kid looks like a crybaby. If they refuse, bet one punch would be enough to make them beg me to not hurt them and do whatever I say."_ That thought brought a smug grin to Chara's face, which was turned to confusion as their hand was smacked away from Frisk's shirt and they were pushed back. That bought Frisk a couple steps distance, but now they stood in front of the door, fists clinched and stance at the ready.

"C'mon, I've beaten plenty of wannabe tough kids back at the orphanage. Take me inside now, or you'll regret it." Chara put their fist in their hand to emphasize their willingness to fight after recovering from the shock of Frisk pushing them away. Frisk remained unmoving, just watching the new kid with the same squinting neutral expression. After a moment's standoff, Chara's face changed to a scowl. "Tch, you asked for it, dweeb."

Chara lunged, bringing their left fist in for a heavy hitting hook aimed at Frisk's jaw to try and knock them down with one hit. However, their arm sailed through empty air, their momentum making them stumble and spin around. Turning to face Frisk again, they found them just to the left of where they stood before, just out of range of where Chara's strike would've landed. Chara let out a noise somewhere between a grunt and a growl and hurled themselves at Frisk again, intending to tackle them to the ground, but Frisk sidestepped again, this time pushing on Chara's back and making them go to faster, the aggressive child smacking their shoulder into house.

"Are you ready to calm down?" Frisk asked, arms crossed over their chest and a frown on their face. They'd been training with Asgore for nearly a year, learning all about fighting, from attacking to dodging, and resolving conflicts with others through talking. While the first two worked well for any fight, the last part Frisk thought would only work on monsters, as talking never helped them with people before, but they were willing to try it here. "If you had asked for more instead of demanding it like, I'd have gotten it for you. I'll still get you some if you stop now."

Chara heard Frisk, but their words only made them more incensed. This brat thought they could just be nice and things would be all hunky dory between them now? As if! They came at Frisk once more, though in a much more measured way, eschewing their full bodied attacks to go for jabs, body shots, and even kicks to the legs, trying to land some solid blows and knock Frisk off guard. However, Frisk seemed to weave and duck and spin away from every blow with ease, each miss making Chara grow more frustrated and careless. They aimed a hard right jab for Frisk's nose, only for them to duck at the last second. Chara's hand still hit something solid though: the tree. Several leaves fell off the branches as it shook, Chara having landed a glancing blow that scraped their hand across the bark, cutting into their hand badly and forcing a cry of agony from them.

They brought their hand to their body, moving quickly to avoid any attacks Frisk might make. Looking at their hand, they knew it'd have to be cleaned and bandaged after this and would probably be barely usable for a while. They looked up and saw Frisk just standing there, watching them. It then occurred to Chara that the other kid hadn't hit them once, hadn't even tried fighting back. All they'd done was dodge Chara's assault and made them hurt themselves. " _They're toying with me! Bet they think they're better than me, like everyone else."_ Chara wouldn't, COULDN'T let this stand. They'd show this privileged brat who was boss.

So with a bruised shoulder and badly scraped hand, Chara jumped back in to the fight. They jabbed with their left fist, only for Frisk to dodge to Chara's right. Chara tried a right backhand, which Frisk ducked under. Chara tried to kick Frisk when they were down low, but Frisk caught their foot and pushed it to the side, making Chara spin on one foot so their back was to Frisk. Their instincts kicked in and they jumped forward and turned around to keep from being attacked from behind, though such a thing Frisk wouldn't do.

Chara tried to think as they stood there, panting, sweating, and injured, staring at their doppelganger. It was infuriating how they hadn't been able to land a single blow, yet this other kid refused to fight back. They knew Frisk wasn't weak with the way they stopped that kick. Chara put everything they had into it, and Frisk just grabbed their foot mid-air like it was nothing. Obviously this kid knew how to fight, but for some reason were holding back. Chara was determined to show them why that was a bad idea. Chara ran at Frisk with their right hand held up like they were going to punch, but their left hand went to their pocket discreetly, grabbing the handle of the knife.

Frisk saw the glint of metal in the light and moved quickly, but not quite quickly enough. The knife cut through their shirt and sliced into their side, Frisk gritting their teeth at the pain. With the next step, Chara twisted around and slashed, intending to cut Frisk from shoulder to waist, but they weren't about to let that happen. With a twist and hop, they put some distance between them and their crazy lookalike, only for that distance to disappear as Chara kept with their aggressive approach. Chara knew the other couldn't dodge forever, especially now that they were hurt. Sooner or later, Frisk would make a mistake, or Chara would get lucky, and that would be the end of the fight. All Chara had to do was keep up the offensive.

With each dodge of the deadly weapon, Frisk grew more worried and more fed up. This wasn't a monster, who could be reasoned with even in the middle of a fight to calm them down. This was another human, who would keep attacking until one of them couldn't fight anymore. They were going to let the other tire themselves out, but with the knife back out that was looking like less than a good idea. They had to stop this knife wielding lunatic fast before something bad happened that couldn't be taken back.

Even knowing all that, they had to give it one more try, see if this not-twin had some good in them somewhere. They were able to put some distance between themselves and Chara, who was panting heavily from the exertion. Frisk was getting fatigued too, but their training had given them a lot more stamina. It was getting obvious that Chara wasn't going to accept any mercy, but Frisk had one more act to try before resorting to fighting.

"You're not very good at swinging that knife around, are you?" The glare they received from Chara might've been able to kill a Whimsum. "But hey, you're as cute as me, and I bet you can be even sweeter than that chocolate cake." At this Frisk opened their arms a bit, hands open and palms out. "Let's forget this fight, ok? Just put the weapon down, and we can share some more cake together." Chara truly looked taken aback, their eyes wavering as they thought to themselves, seemingly trying to process what was happening. Frisk allowed themselves to hope that their little flirt was able to do it, to find a way to pacify another human without fighting. That hope was dashed away as Chara again looked at them with a steely gaze and rushed them, trying to bring their knife down across Frisk's chest.

Frisk stepped inside of the slash and slammed into Chara, knocking them down and back. This bought them a couple seconds as Chara got back up, but that's all Frisk needed. Chara lunged back towards Frisk, going for a straight stab to the chest and Frisk waited until the last moment to move. They turned slightly as Chara tried to get them, making as if to do a normal dodge, but stopped in the middle, slightly crouching in front of them. With one hand they grabbed Chara's arm while the other pressed up on their chest, which, along with Chara's momentum, allowed them to flip Chara over Frisk, Chara's back and head landing on the stone ground hard with a thud, stunning them. Frisk took the opportunity to flip them over onto their stomach and kneel on their back, still holding Chara's arm, which they pulled back and up, twisting and pulling Chara's already hurt shoulder into an awkward position.

"Let go of the knife," Frisk said above them. Chara didn't listen, instead squirming and trying to push back up with their other hand. Frisk couldn't risk them getting back up and wrenched their arm up again, eliciting a cry of pain from the prone human and reducing their struggling. Frisk didn't like what they were doing, but knew they had to do it. "I said drop it, or I'll dislocate your shoulder." Another tug on Chara's arm made them stop moving to get up, instead the child was breathing heavily. They were hungry, thirsty, sleep deprived, and physically drained after running from several adults in town and from the fight. They hated admitting it, but they were beat. However, they didn't want to let go of the knife. Once they did, they'd be completely helpless, and a helpless orphan is as good as dead. They were sure Frisk would take the knife and just stab them for trying to do the same to them, so they clung to the blade for dear life. Their own body betrayed them though when Frisk gave a hard yank, the pain in their shoulder traveling down their arm and forcing their hand open, Frisk snatching the knife instantly.

" _This is it,"_ Chara thought. _"I'm gonna die to some dumb underground kid stabbing me while I'm starved and weak."_ They braced for the pain of the knife being pushed into their side or back, or the feeling of it moving under their head to slice their neck, cursing themselves, Frisk, the town, and anyone and any thing they could think of. They started the chuckle, then full out laugh, their signature nervous reaction to anything too stressful or fear inducing, and another person holding them to the ground with a knife was both those things. They were taken by surprise then when their arm was let go and a weight was taken off of them. Turning their head to look, they saw Frisk standing up, holding the knife to their side, a small spot of red under their arm from where they were cut a bit ago. Turning over and sitting up, Chara looked at Frisk, still angry but also confused.

"Well? Aren't you going to attack? Stab me back for what I did to you?" They didn't understand, that's how fights always went before. The winner would make the loser pay dearly to teach them not to mess with them anymore, inflicting more pain than they received. Chara had done it many times, and had it done to them a few as well, so when Frisk shook their head, they were even more confused. "Then what are you going to do to me?" Frisk took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh before replying. "I'm going to get you up, take you inside, and get you something to eat." Chara wasn't sure, but it sounded like Frisk said that reluctantly, as though they didn't want to. When Frisk moved towards Chara, they flinched, but Frisk only helped them up by pulling on their unhurt shoulder. Chara wanted to tell them to not touch them but followed along, not wanting to risk making Frisk mad while they still held the knife. Their legs were wobbly, their reserves of energy drained after all the exertion from the day, making Frisk half-carry them to the door.

It wasn't easy for Chara to see inside the house, but the light coming in through the windows helped a little. They could see there was a hallway to their right, and a more open room to their left with a table and chairs. The latter direction is where Frisk directed them, helping the stumbling child to a seat. "Stay here, and I'll get you some food and more cake," Frisk whispered. Chara presumed it was to not wake up their parents, and with the promise of more cake stayed seated. Besides, it wasn't like they could go far in the condition they were in, all bruised and and exhausted. So they waited as a few moments passed by until Frisk returned, carrying a large plate filled with lots of food. Sandwiches, crackers, cookies, different fruits and vegetables, meats and cheese in little cut pieces, and another slice of chocolate cake. Chara couldn't remember the last time they'd been given this much to eat. Taking a quick look at Frisk, who only nodded, Chara dug in.

Something caught them off guard as they ate though. Most of the food seemed to melt in their mouth, only a little being swallowable, but even that felt like it was disappearing as it went down their throat. Now thinking of it, they remembered chewing the first piece of cake, but never swallowing it, and now the same was happening to the rest of this food. They didn't dwell on it too long or let it stop them though, their hunger easily winning out over any curiosity. Even so, they were feeling themselves become full as the food melted away in their mouth. At first, they'd just stuffed their face with whatever they could grab, but now they were picking what they wanted most. The cookies were gone in a flash, then the fruit, then meat. The poor veggies went untouched through the whole meal. Last was the cake piece, which again was nearly inhaled from being eaten so fast. The entire time, Frisk sat next to Chara and just silently watched them eat.

Finally, Chara sat back and pat their stomach, having eaten more in that sitting than they had in the last week total. They had a glass of water on the table and took several big gulps, draining the glass nearly dry in one go, putting it back onto the table with a loud belch. They couldn't help but giggle at their own antics, but when they looked at Frisk in the low light they could see only their normal neutral expression. Chara turned to face them better and opened their mouth to speak. "Hey, kid, wanted to kn," "Frisk," Frisk interrupted. "My name is Frisk." Chara sighed and started again. "Ok, Frisk. I wanted to know why you're acting so nice to me after everything. It's...weird." Now it was Frisk's turn to sigh before sitting up straight.

"A year ago, I lived up on the surface. I hated it, because everyone hated me. They blamed me for something I didn't do and couldn't control, and they made me suffer for it. I was always called horrible things, but most just referred to me as a demon." Frisk talked while looking a little bit up, recalling the memories. It quickly clicked in Chara though what that nickname meant. "Wait, I was called 'a second red-eyed demon' in that stupid town. Were you the first?" At Chara's words, Frisk brought their face back down to be level with theirs and opened their eyes fully, allowing the other child to see the faintly glowing orbs. The sight caught Chara off guard and made them gasp. "Yes," Frisk continued. "I was called a demon from the day I was born. One night, my aunt threw me out of the house after...disciplining me, and I had enough. I climbed the mountain to get away, and fell down here. There weren't flowers before, so I was really hurt. Then, a kid found me and brought me here, where his mom and dad helped me heal up. Now, I call them my family because they adopted me, and I thought I'd never have to deal with another human from the surface again."

Frisk's eyes were fixed onto Chara's, and there was something in them that was familiar yet disquieting to them. It looked like how Chara imagined they looked when they decided to stab the perverted priest. A look of malice and hatred, making Chara's sins crawl up their back at the thought of what was going through Frisk's mind. "Then you fall down here. Another human from the surface, only you're carrying a knife with blood on it and an evil look in your eyes. It took all my willpower to show you mercy out there and not fight back." Frisk said. Chara looked back at them, confused at their choice of words. "Well then why did you let me up and get all this food for me?" They retorted, voice rising in volume. Frisk shushed them before continuing. "Because Mom and Dad have taught me everyone deserves a second chance, and that even the worst person can change and be good if they just try. I know it's true because I've changed, and I know you can too."

Chara scoffed. "That's a stupid way of thinking. There's plenty of bad people who never change, and there's only one way to take care of them." Chara motioned to the knife that Frisk still carried. Instead of responding to that though, Frisk smirked and replied "How does your hand feel, Chara?" Confused, Chara looked down at their left hand which had been hurt by the dieing tree outside, only to notice that there was no more blood, no scrapes or cuts or anything wrong with it at all. Rolling their shoulders, they felt no bruising or stiffness in the one that slammed into the house. "What? How is my hand okay? It should have taken days for that to heal, now it's like it didn't happen." Frisk smiled at Chara's confusion as the child kept examining their hand. "It's magic," Frisk replied. "Magic food actually. I had a cookie before bringing your food out, and I'm fine too." Frisk lifted their shirt a bit, and even in the low light Chara could see that Frisk had no cut on them anymore, though the blood was still there.

"Bullshit!" Chara barked, becoming angry again at thinking Frisk was lying to them. "Magic isn't real!" Frisk tried to quiet them down, but the sound of a door opening told them it was too late for that. Instead, they sighed and slid off the chair saying to Chara "Think you woke up my family." Frisk scampered off down the hall, Chara losing sight of them when they got past the main door. Instead they just reached out to the plate on the table and took a bite of some crackers and cheese. As it melted in their mouth like the rest of the food, they wondered if the other red-eyed child had been telling the truth, since they'd never eaten anything like this before. Their pondering was cut short as the sounds of two sets of footsteps approached. As they turned to look at Frisk, who had just entered the living room, they saw something behind them.

It started as a dark silhouette, but gained some definition as it drew nearer. Chara's eyes grew in shock, then fear as what looked like a lumbering beast followed behind Frisk. Most of it was in the shadows, but Chara could still make out most of the features, like the snout with sharp fangs, large muscular build underneath white fur, a body nearly as wide car and tall as the doorway, with claws on its hands and massive horns on top of its head. It stretched its arms out over its head, making it appear even larger, while it opened its muzzle and let out a loud, deep growl, causing Chara to fall over backwards out of the chair, kneeling down behind it as if that might offer then some protection should this thing charge at them. Frisk, meanwhile, just stood there with their arms crossed, smirk on their face at Chara's reaction.

"Dad, this is Chara, a human I found outside the house. Chara, this is my dad, Asgore Dreemurr, King of the Monsters." Asgore chuckled, putting a hand on Frisk's head and patting them. "Frisk, no need to be dramatic." With that, they stepped into the room proper, revealing a pair of pajama pants and a pink shirt with the words "King Dad Guy" in blue on the front. "Well Chara, it's nice to mee..." Asgore didn't get to finish the sentence because, as he took another step into the room, Chara let out a blood-curdling scream. Chara had been afraid before, like when the head of one of the orphanages got angry, and when they were in the room with that priest, but now they weren't afraid of getting hurt. This time, they were afraid for their very soul as a true monster stared at them and came towards them. Frisk winced, since if Asriel and Toriel hadn't heard them and been up before, they sure were now.

Indeed, two more sets of doors opened as Asgore tried to calm the terrified child. "Now now, there's no need to be frightened. Why don't we settle down over a nice cup of tea?" Chara had their back against the wall with Asgore kneeling in front of them, trying to speak to them when Toriel rushed past Frisk and into the room, magic fire in one hand. "Asgore, what in the world is going on!?" Chara, upon seeing yet another strange monster with an odd colored fire in her hand, screamed again. They wished they had their knife with them, even if it wouldn't help defend themselves, because it'd at least make them feel a little safer, but the other child that looked like them, Frisk, had taken it from them. Looking over at them, they saw the faint outline of it in their pj bottom's pocket.

Toriel extinguished her flame quickly at the sight of the frightened child, then proceeded to grab one of Asgore's horns and pull up, making him stand but in a slouched position so that his face was at the same height as hers. She looked him in the eyes, her expression stern. "Asgore Dreemurr, what did you do to this poor innocent child?" She demanded, with Frisk giving a quiet snicker behind her. "Tori, I only tried to say hello. I did nothing to harm them." Asgore replied sincerely, causing Toriel to sigh. Thankfully, Chara had stopped screaming at this point, though they were in danger of hyperventilating at this rate. Toriel pulled Asgore behind her before releasing him, then turned to Chara, making sure to stay well away so as not to frighten them more.

"It's all right, little one. You're safe in this house. I know we may look frightening to your kind, but we mean you no harm." Her calm demeanor and soothing voice seemed to be working, the child calming down, though no less scared. Meanwhile Asriel came up beside their sibling and tugged on their shirt. "Frisk, what's going on? Why are there two of you?" Frisk just wrapped their arm around their adoptive brother, promising to tell them later when everyone had calmed down. With Chara now just sitting on the ground, Toriel turned to Asgore, asking him to make some tea for everyone. He dutifully obliged while Toriel looked around, seeing the platter of leftover party food from the evening. "I see someone had a big meal here. Was it good?" She asked, looking to Chara, who tensed up but nodded. "Good! You'll have to tell me what foods you like sometime and I'll be happy to make some." Her genuine smile put Chara more at ease before she took the plate back into the kitchen, leaving only the three children in the living room.

Frisk decided to use this opportunity to introduce the last member of the Dreemurr crew. "Chara, I'd like you to meet my brother and savior, Asriel. He found me when I first fell down here." The flattery made the goat boy blush a little as he gave Chara a little sleepy wave. "And Azzy, this is Chara, another human that was outside our house that I found." Chara gave a shaky wave back, still not fully calm after the fright they'd just had. Toriel had come out and lit the fireplace with her magic, giving the room a soft glow. "Speaking of which, you'll have to tell us why you were up and able to find them in the first place, my child." Frisk's smile vanished at Tori's words, replaced with a nervous lip bite. It was Asriel's turn to snicker, knowing their sibling was going to get a talking to, but probably not get in too much trouble.

As everyone began sitting and getting comfortable, Asgore came back out with five stacked cups in one hand and a teapot in the other. "All right everyone, seems we've had more excitement tonight than we were planning on. Let's all calm down so we can head to bed and finish sleeping." He gave one cup to Toriel in her chair, nuzzling her head as he filled the cup. Asriel and Frisk were sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, so Asgore put their tea beside them. He looked over to Chara, who hadn't moved from the wall near the table. "Child, you don't have to stay over there. You may come join us for some warm tea." Chara sat there a moment, thinking it over before slowly, seemingly reluctantly, getting up and making their way closer. They sat in the same area, but further than arms length from anyone else. Asgore poured their tea and handed it to them, Chara giving a mumbled "thanks" as they sipped it.

Asgore sat and poured his own cup of tea, putting the kettle down beside him, then took a sip for himself before turning his head towards the new human. "Chara, may I ask what caused you to enter the underground?" Chara pursed their lips, staring into their cup. "I was running and tripped on something," they replied. Such a curt answer struck both parents as odd, with Toriel speaking next. "And why were you running, my child?" Chara's grip on their cup tightened, frowning as they remembered the events over the last few days. "I don't want to talk about it," was all they said. They expected to be admonished for not doing as they're told, or for keeping secrets, or other various reasons like they would've been on the surface. "Very well. You don't have to tell us anything you're uncomfortable with," Toriel responded, surprising Chara, though they tried to not show it.

"As for you, young one," Toriel's tone of voice grew more serious as she looked over to Frisk, who sat up straighter. "Just what were you doing up so late at night?" Frisk fumbled over themselves for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Um...I don't want to talk about it?" They said in the hope they would be given the same leniency as Chara. Asgore chuckled and spoke. "Frisk, you know that won't work on your mother." Frisk sighed and looked at Toriel as they admitted their sins. "I wanted another piece of cake, so I snuck into the kitchen to get one." Asriel turned to their sibling, cheeks puffed up in indignation. "Frisk, why didn't you get me one too?" he said in a bit of a whine.

"I'm not the one that ate it though, Chara did!" Frisk said quickly, trying to somehow get in less trouble. It didn't seem to work. "Frisk, it's the intention that matters. It was a selfish act and your mother and I will come up with a suitable punishment for it." Asgore replied. Frisk sighed and nodded, going back to their tea. A couple minutes passed in silence, with nearly everyone finishing their drink before Toriel spoke back up. "So Frisk, would you like to tell us why you have a knife in your pocket and a cut in your shirt?" Frisk looked up with a deer-in-the-headlights look, eyes going from mostly closed as they relaxed to fully open, showing off their shining red irises. "I'm your mother, I notice when things aren't right," she said as Frisk looked at her. Asriel looked over to their sibling with worry. "Frisk, you didn't try to...um, you know, did you?" Frisk quickly shook their head, Toriel giving a relieved sigh and Asgore a confused look. "It's...um...well, I didn't...uh..." Frisk sputtered, trying to come up with an excuse, but Chara interrupted. "It's my knife, and I made that cut," they said matter-of-factly, causing three pairs of monster goat eyes to look at them in surprise. "Child, why would you..." Toriel started with her question, but didn't get to finish.

"It's not their fault. They were hungry and scared and I surprised them. They didn't mean to, and I traded the cake piece for the knife. When they were done I brought them inside for more food and water." Frisk said in a hurry, completely leaving out the fight they and Chara had. This threw Chara for a loop, as no one had really stood up for them before, let alone someone they'd recently attacked. Asriel put their arms around Frisk, putting them in a hug with their cheeks against each other even as Asriel glared at Chara. "You hurt my Frisk, you meanie." Frisk, for their part, hugged Asriel back. "Azzy, it's fine. I'm not hurt, and it was an accident."

"Chara, did you fight anything else on your way here?" Asgore asked. His voice was deeper and quieter than usual, sounding almost menacing. Chara didn't look up, just staring at their almost empty cup of tea. "No, all the other things either ran away or just sat there as I walked by." Their reply, along with the fact there was no dust on their hands, made Asgore breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that, child. The monsters that live in this part of the underground are not very strong, and you could have seriously hurt them or worse, even by accident. Since you will be staying underground, we will teach you all about the relationship between humans and monsters." Chara's head shot up at that. "Wait, I'm not allowed to leave? I'm being kidnapped?"

"Asgore, now you've scared them!" Toriel looked over to her husband, giving one of her famous glares that could make anyone in the underground scamper away in both guilt and fear. While she admonished the king, Asriel, still holding on to Frisk, replied to Chara. "We're not forcing you to stay down here, it's just actually impossible to leave. We're all stuck under the mountain because of a magic barrier." Chara rolled their eyes at that. "Magic? Psh, yeah right. Can I just have my knife back?" Frisk hesitated, unwrapping their arms from Asriel who did the same. "You're not gonna try to hurt anyone, are you?" Frisk asked, wary of giving the other human a weapon. "Only if they don't try to hurt me first," Chara replied. Frisk wasn't fully satisfied with that answer, but took the knife out of their pocket and scooted over to Chara just close enough to where they could hand it off. As Chara went to take it, Frisk gripped the knife tightly so it couldn't be pulled out of their hand and just stared Chara in the eyes with a serious expression, then let the knife go, leaving it with Chara, who quickly pocketed it.

As everything wound down, Asgore got up and collected all the cups, taking them into the kitchen with the kettle. "Children I believe it's bed time now," he said upon his return. Two children groaned and stretched, Frisk and Asriel standing up. Chara stay sitting, wondering where they were going to be put. Frisk came over to them and offered a hand to help them up. "You can have my bed tonight, Chara. I'll sleep with Azzy," they said, giving a sincere smile. Chara got up on their own, refusing to touch Frisk's hand, feeling more confident now that they had their knife. "Fine, just as long as it doesn't have any bugs," Chara replied with a huff.

Chara followed their mirror image and the goat boy into their room, with Toriel and Asgore right behind them to tuck them all in. Before getting in bed though, Asriel perked up. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed as the got down on all fours and rooted around under his bed. He got back up holding two presents, handing one to Frisk. "I kinda forgot about these in all the excitement earlier. One's for your birthday, the other's for coming down here and being my friend for a whole year." Frisk smiled and pulled the ribbon holding the lid on the box, then took it off and reached in. They pulled out two golden necklaces with the monster's symbol on the front, and opening one up saw the words "BEST FRIENDS FOREVER" etched into the left side. Asriel took the second one and put it on while Frisk followed suit with the first. "Thank you, Azzy. I'll never take it off," they said, giving Asriel a big hug. Chara watched this and felt oddly jealous, almost as if that necklace should have been theirs, though they had no real reason to think that. The second gift was opened quickly, Frisk pulling out...a microphone! "Mom and dad put speakers into here and in New Home, so you can sing whenever you want." Asriel chimed in, having seen how much Frisk liked to sing and hum, especially when people were there to listen and join in. Frisk thanked Asriel again and put the gift back in the box for safe keeping.

Frisk and Asriel got in one bed together, letting Toriel pull the covers up and giving her and Asgore a hug and cheek kiss. "Night mom, night dad." They said in unison. Chara however had pulled the covers up themselves, hands behind their head and eyes closed now. Toriel came up beside the bed, standing next to the new human child. "I know things have been rough for you, and we don't have a lot to offer, but we will do what we can to make you comfortable and happy. We will explain everything tomorrow, and you can too if you want. For now, have a good night, child." She went to pat their head, only for them to flinch away when they felt her paw. Toriel took it in stride and retracted her hand, giving them all one more good night wish before leaving the room with her husband and shutting the door.

Chara couldn't understand Frisk. One moment they're defending them from their own brother and leaving out the part of them trying to kill the other child, and the next they're giving some unspoken threat while giving them back the knife. Chara wondered if they'd been telling the truth about their treatment by other humans. Would certainly explain why Frisk seemed to hate humans as much as Chara did, but then why would Frisk be nice and stand up for another human like them? Certainly they couldn't actually be convinced that people can change. If that was the case, nothing bad would ever happen. Their parents wouldn't have left them on the steps of some orphanage, the other kids and even the 'caretakers' wouldn't have hurt them, and those horrible men wouldn't...

Chara stopped themselves from continuing that line of thought, pulling the knife out and putting it under the pillow. As they did, they glanced at the other bed and saw what looked like a faintly glowing red ring right where Frisk's head should've been. It unnerved them, never having seen a glowing eye before, not realizing their own eyes did the same just not as brightly. However, the thought of being watched didn't really affect them, since it happened all the time up on the surface, with caretakers walking through the halls to make sure the kids were sleeping. Before Chara knew it, they were out cold, their body finally getting the rest it needed after several days without. Frisk slept lightly that night, one eye opening every time a noise came from the other bed. However, the thought of of helping Chara become a better person filled them with hope, and the thought of protecting their family and friends filled them with determination.


	10. School Days

**Howdy! First thing's first, thank you all for your patience with this chapter. I've been working on it on and off since I posted the last chapter, and have done a few complete rewrites of it.**

 **Next, a big hello to everyone who's new! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the series so far. Hope you continue to like it.**

* * *

Toriel was the first to awaken to the sound of Froggits meowing outside. It was always either her or Asgore, and neither was ever far behind the other. Her normal routine was to get up, take a nice shower, then begin breakfast if Asgore hadn't already. While whatever she was making cooked, she'd wake up her children. It used to be she woke up Asriel before starting in the kitchen, as he seemed to be wide awake the moment he opened his eyes each day, but found that it was easier to get Frisk out of the comfort of their bed with the smell of food wafting in to the room. Chara, however, presented a problem. No matter what Toriel tried, that child would be dead asleep through anything less than some hard shaking or ice water poured onto them. The first option Toriel wouldn't do considering the human's aversion to being touched, and the second option was just plain cruel and she could see it doing nothing but making the child angry. Thus, she usually resigned herself to getting Frisk and Asriel up first, then letting them deal with Chara while she finished breakfast.

Today though was a different story. While she wouldn't miss her shower, there wasn't enough time this day to make breakfast for everyone. Toriel and the rest of the household would have to make due with cereal or fruit or anything else they could make on their own. She grabbed a robe from her dresser and made her way to the washroom, being careful to be quiet as to give the children some more time to rest. She contemplated what the day had in store for them all as the water in the tub began to run. She and Asgore had an open forum all day, where any monster could have an audience with them to air any grievances they had, from the trivial and mundane to serious and even life threatening. While the king had an open door policy in place always, the queen's idea of having official days specifically for problems monsters were facing vastly improved the royal family's knowledge of what was affecting the kingdom.

As Toriel entered the tub, Asgore awoke. Moving the covers and sitting on the side of the bed, he yawned and stretched before standing up and heading to the door. Peeking out and seeing a light on in the restroom, he knew his wife was already up and he'd need to wait his turn to bathe, so in the meantime he went through his clothes. His royal purple cape with the golden clasp, and his golden crown, were musts. He had to look the part of a regal leader after all. Black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt would be worn beneath a gold tunic with the royal symbol in black and outlined in white. He'd have to trim his beard and polish his horns, but that would come with his turn at washing. Until then, he was fine in his pajamas as he left his room and headed for the kitchen in order to get something to eat. Some fruit and instant oatmeal, heated with fire mage, was enough to sate his morning hunger. It didn't take him long to finish, and with Toriel not yet finished washing, Asgore took the opportunity to set out more fruit and four more bowls, getting out more oatmeal and cereal so the kids could pick what they wanted. With that finished, he left the kitchen and made his way to the kid's room.

The bedroom was mostly the same as it always was, with the exception of three beds now. Asriel's was against the right wall, Chara's the left, and Frisk insisted on their bed being in the middle of the room between the two. Even Asgore could tell there was some kind of mistrust between Frisk and Chara, with him and Toriel believing it stemming from when the first two met and had a little misunderstanding, neither being told the full story of how bad the fight actually got. Even so, the two otherwise got along reasonably well, with only some minor arguments here and there. Asriel had also warmed up to Chara, though not to the same extent they had with Frisk. Chara though was...difficult sometimes. They were prone to fits of anger or brooding when they didn't get their way, and as far as either parent knew they hadn't made friends with any of the other monsters.

Asgore stepped into the room and made his way to Asriel's bed. Not only was he closest, but also the easiest to wake. Leaning over his son's bed, he gently shook the goat boy, who was splayed out under the covers. "Son, it's morning. Time to get ready for school," he said quietly. Asriel stirred and turned onto his back, giving a big stretch and yawn before his eyes opened fully, smiling as he saw his father from the light coming from the open door. "Good morning dad!" He replied, giving Asgore a hug, which was reciprocated. Asriel then gave a couple more stretches before hopping off the bed and going with his father to Frisk's bed. The child had requested, and been given a second, large pillow which they tended to curl up against, and today was no exception. Father and son worked together to wake them, Asgore gently rocking them by the shoulder and Asriel climbing onto the bed to do the same to their hip. They turned their head as they woke to see two goats looking at them, which had become a common occurrence. "Morning dad," they said sleepily, follow by them rolling over and abandoning the body pillow in order to grab Asriel instead. "Morning Azzy." Asriel squirmed out of Frisk's grasp, feigning annoyance but giving them a good morning back, along with Asgore. It took a few moments, but Frisk was soon hanging their bottom half off the bedside, which was their way of showing they were up, for the most part.

Next came Chara, who was snuggled so far into their blanket that only their hair was visible. Asgore moved next to the bed, putting his hand on it and shaking the whole thing softly. "Chara, it's time to get ready for classes," he said in a quiet tone. Chara stirred, but only to wrap themselves up more into their blanket and groan. Asgore let out a sigh as he turned to the other two children. "Frisk, son, I'll leave Chara up to you two. When you're ready, come to the living room for breakfast." With that, he left the room and headed to the bathroom, seeing the door open now so that he could take his turn in the bath. He would have to make it a quick one as the kids needed theirs as well.

After Asgore left, Frisk and Asriel were pondering their conundrum of trying to get Chara up. It was rarely an easy feat, the newest human almost making the other kids late on more than a few occasions. However, they had many tried and tested ways of getting the stubborn kid out of bed: an ice cube from the fridge down their shirt; pulling the blankets off the bed (sometimes with Chara still in them); putting a speaker next to their head and letting Frisk sing/yell an annoying song into their microphone. Today though, Frisk thought up something different. They whispered it into Asriel's ear, who went wide eyed. "Frisk, no. They'll kill you for that," he said with concern. He knew Chara wouldn't literally kill Frisk, but there would be bad blood between them for the day at least. Frisk just shrugged and went to the foot of the bed, climbing on between the wall and Chara while pulling the covers up and letting themselves in. All the movement made Chara open their eyes, only to see Frisk's face inches from theirs.

"Go away, Frisk," they said as they scooted backward, trying to put some distance between them and their clone. "Gotta hurry and get up today, remember?" Frisk said and moved close again. "Stop it, Frisk!" Chara moved back again, frowning as once again their adoptive human sibling did the opposite of what they said. "I mean it Frisk, I'll...oomph." The last part of their sentence was cut off as they'd backed up so far that they fell out of their bed. They looked up and saw Frisk giggling, and even Asriel was doing their best to suppress their laughter. Chara scowled and groaned as they got up, taking their pillow and tossing it at Frisk's head, then taking one of Frisk's pillows and pegging Asriel in the head. "Hey, why me? I didn't do anything," the young goat monster complained. "Exactly, you did nothing to stop them," Chara replied, trudging their way to their dresser. Frisk took this time to take their clothes and check if the restroom was free, and indeed the door was open. They hurried to be the first in and, finding it empty, pushed the door back behind them. What they didn't see was the door not closing fully.

Chara grumbled as they grabbed a set of clothes while Asriel made their bed. The goat kid said they wanted it to look nice, but Chara was sure they were letting everyone else use the bath first. In the time they'd known him, they came to the conclusion that Asriel was just too nice for his own good. He had no idea how the real world, the surface world, worked. It was kill or be killed, and a part of them hoped the monsters would never make it to the surface and learn that, but another part thought that they were the only ones that deserved to be up there. Every single monster they'd met had been nothing but kind to them, no matter how they looked or what their circumstances were. It had taken them a while to get used to the fact that none of them had ulterior motives, but they felt they could relax now, if even just a little. They still carried their knife everywhere, though they hadn't reached for it in quite some time. Still, old habits die hard, and they felt safer having it with them just in case.

With clothes in hand they made their way out to the hallway and saw the door to the bath open, which pretty much always meant that it was unoccupied. They pushed the door wide open as they stepped in, only to halt as they saw Frisk snap their head around to look at them, eyes wide in surprise and with their clothes on the floor. It was only a split second that the two looked at each other, but it felt like minutes. "Chara, close the door!" Frisk yelled out, trying to cover themselves with their discarded clothing. Chara, in their surprise-induced haste, closed the door behind them while still in the bath room. This caused another moment of the two staring at each other when Frisk spoke again. "I meant close it while you're outside it." Their face was beet red, as was Chara's, who's permanent blush seemed to finally match the rest of their face.

Chara quickly turned around and fled from the room, practically slamming the door. They buried their face in their clothes so only their eyes were out and made their way back to their shared room, flopping onto their bed. "Chara, don't go back to sleep," Asriel warned, receiving only a grunt from their sibling in response. Sighing, Asriel plopped onto Chara's bed too, though at a respectable distance from them. "Want me to help you make your bed?" He asked, getting a shrug back, though Chara did get up and go to one corner of the bed, grabbing the blanket. Thus the two put the sheet, pillow, and blanket back where they should go, with Chara giving a quiet "Thanks, Azzy," that made the goat boy feel elated. Not long after, Frisk came back in to drop off their pajamas and towel. Chara made a beeline for the door after grabbing their clothes, avoiding looking at Frisk.

Asriel noticed something was up and offered to help Frisk make their bed too. They obliged their brother and set to work on it. "So...what's up with Chara?" He asked. "They kind of...walked in on me in the bath room and got embarrassed," Frisk replied. This confused Asriel a bit, who responded, "But you two are the same, right? There shouldn't be anything to get embarrassed by." Frisk just shrugged, saying "That's just how humans work." With that, Frisk headed out of the room and to the kitchen, where Toriel was in the middle of her breakfast. "Good morning, my child. Breakfast is self serve today because of the day's plans." She gave them a smile and pat on the head as they went on their way, grabbing two slices of bread and putting them in the toaster, one of the few appliances Toriel could safely use. A little jam once they were nice and toasted, plus a monster apple, was plenty for Frisk.

Chara came out of the bathroom and headed to the living room for breakfast when Asriel exited their room for their turn, asking, "Hey Chara, Frisk told me what happened. How come it's embarrassing when you're both the same?" Great, the kid went and blabbed already. "Because reasons. Anyway, it's your turn, and if you take too long in there I'll come in and pour ice water on you." Asriel huffed at that, saying ,"You're so mean, Chara," as they went past to go into the bath room. "I'm not mean, you're just a crybaby," they called back as the door closed.

Toriel and Frisk were finishing their breakfasts when Chara entered. It'd be cereal and juice for Chara, who was happy that they'd been able to find a brand of chocolate cereal for sale. Chara had been surprised to learn that electricity was a relatively new thing in the monster kingdom, with some people still getting the hang of it. They hadn't seen any power lines though, so they thought the cables had to be buried. That, or monsters had somehow figured out an efficient wireless power supply, which honestly wouldn't have surprised them. Monsters were much better than any human after all, at least in their eyes.

Frisk ambled in while Chara was finishing making their food, humming some song that Chara didn't know. Chara wouldn't admit it, but Frisk was actually a decent singer, and getting better thanks to lessons that Toriel had signed them up for. They could draw a crowd when they got caught up singing a song that was stuck in their head, but it tended to annoy Chara so they just took their food and sat at the table in the dining room. Toriel passed them, taking her dishes into the kitchen and setting them in the sink, which was unusual as she wanted everyone to wash their dishes immediately. ' _It must be a really important day for them if they're setting normal things aside_ ,' Frisk thought at seeing her leaving the dishes unwashed. They then joined Chara at the table, with Asriel also taking a seat with food a couple minutes later across from them.

"What do you two think everyone will ask Mom and Dad today?" Asriel asked between bites, his fur still a little damp, but it would dry before getting to school. "Probably the same stuff they asked last time," Frisk answered. "Why is food getting more expensive, why are we running out of room to build and live, stuff like that. Aren't you supposed to be learning about that, Azzy?" Frisk asked, looking at their goat brother. "Well, yeah, I do. But I still have to go to regular school too," Asriel stated, finishing off their cereal. Chara was quiet for a bit before looking at Asriel. "Do they ask about taking our souls?" The question caught both the other children off guard, the food forgotten for the moment. Before either could say anything though, they were interrupted.

"Yes, they have," came a deep voice behind them. Three sets of eyes looked up to see Asgore next to the table, solemn expression across his face. "We have been asked why we do not just take your souls and cross the barrier in order to find more, so that we can destroy it." His words hung in the air, all three kids listening intently. "Indeed, some would want us to resume the old war against humans and attempt to wipe them out, as they had nearly done to monster kind. I would be lying if I said I disagreed with that sentiment when we were first exiled beneath this mountain." Asgore's head hung low as he said that, as if in shame. "But, as the years and decades passed, that fire began to die down. Most monsters that remembered the war were turning to dust through old age, and the new monsters only had stories, which became legends, and eventually myths about the humans above. Meanwhile, Captain Gerson, Toriel and I came to an agreement that even if we gained the ability to get rid of the barrier, we would not. We did not want to risk another war with humanity, as it would surely lead to our utter destruction."

Toriel, who had heard most of it as she came back out from her room after getting into a very regal looking dress, took the opportunity to speak up. "Then, eventually, Frisk fell down here. The first human any monster had seen in...well, suffice to say a long, long time. It's a blessing you fell asleep for as long as you did," she pat Frisk's head, them noticing a couple rings on her fingers, "because Asgore and I were arguing back and forth about what to do. Neither of us were going back on our promise of not taking souls and breaking the barrier, but we were still afraid, as was much of the kingdom when they found out. However, Frisk was quick to work their way into our hearts, and eventually did the same for every monster they've met, changing many opinions of humans. That has only been reinforced with you, Chara. No matter how different you two are, from each other as well as from monsters, you have both had a positive impact on life down here. There are a few who are still afraid and ignorant of the joy you bring, but they will learn in time." She capped off her little speech with a bright smile, which turned into a look of surprise when a knock came at the door.

"Oh my, I got so caught up in that. Finish up children, it's about time for us all to head out." With that, she headed to the entrance way, where Asgore had already answered the door for a Knight Knight, who was kneeling. "Yes my king, many are awaiting an audience today. We merely await your orders to let them enter," the armor-clad woman said. "Very good. Show the first to the throne room in ten minutes to give us time for final preparations." Asgore gave a gentle smile as Knight Knight bowed then got up, heading back to her post. Turning around, he looked at Toriel all dressed up and beamed. "You look lovely in that dress, Tori." She returned the smile, replying with "And you're just as handsome as always, Gory." Then, three children rushed past and into their bedroom, grabbing their backpacks and rushing past again.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" All three said one after the other as they headed out the door. Asriel, the last to leave, made sure the door to their house shut. Frisk wore a pair of jeans with black shoes and a white shirt with two stripes, one red and one yellow. Chara had chosen a red shirt with a single thick stripe, black jeans, and brown shoes. Asriel wore his favorite colors, green shirt with two yellow stripes, black shorts, and no shoes. Because monsters came in all sizes, shapes, and types, clothing rules were pretty relaxed about what had to be worn where. As the three walked along the path overlooking the city of New Home, they made small talk about what they might be learning at school that day, what they would do when they got home, and what their parents were dealing with. Chara looked over to Asriel and huffed a bit. "Do you have to wear the same thing every day? You'll get made fun of." Asriel looked down at his clothes then back to Chara. "I like this outfit, plus no one's said anything bad about it yet." Chara shrugged and replied, "Probably because you're the prince and they're afraid of making Mom and Dad mad."

"It could also be because they don't care about what he wears," Frisk interjected, adjusting the pack slung across their back. "Well excuse me if I don't want to see someone pick on my brother," Chara replied with a sarcastic tone. "But you're the only one that does pick on me," said Asriel as they reached the elevator, Frisk pressing the button to call it. Chara leaned back so their pack rested against the wall, crossing their arms. "That's because I'm human, and that's what they do. Actually, that's probably the least bad thing they do. And before you say it, Frisk doesn't count because they've been living down here for a long time." Frisk shuffled uncomfortably, swearing they could feel the scars still on their back, no amount of healing magic able to remove ones that old. They didn't want to agree with Chara, but they remembered their life back on the surface. They'd told everyone, including Asriel, so they were all well aware of the atrocities humans were capable of.

"Well, you could still try to be better you know." Asriel's words brought Frisk back out of their memories. Looking at the elevator counter, they saw it was just a few floors away. "This IS me being better, Azzy. Trust me, you two would've hated me even more on the surface. Everyone else already did." The elevator dinged and opened up at the end of Chara's sentence, the children shuffling inside. The door shut after Frisk selected the ground floor, which would take them into downtown New Home. The hum of their descent was the only sound for a while, before Asriel spoke up with "I don't hate you, Chara." Chara snorted at that. "You should hate me. Everyone should. I'm not a good person. Only good human I've ever known is Frisk here, and even then they could just be pretending." They gestured towards their human sibling, who frowned and moved to stand in front of them. Two sets of glowing red eyes stared at each other, one squinted nearly shut and the other open wide. Chara brought their hands up near their chest, ready to use them. "Frisk, don't you dare." Their sibling moved closer, raising their own arms. "I'm warning you, I will fight back." Chara tried stepping back, but just bumped the wall and glanced back. That was when Frisk pounced, giving Chara just enough time to look back and see a blur coming at them and give a yelp.

"Frisk, no! Let me go!" Chara cried out as they struggled, but couldn't move out of Frisk's grasp. They were caught in a tight bear hug, trying to push and squirm to get away. Frisk just looked at them with a devilish grin and giggled. "Still think I hate you?" they asked, holding tightly. "Yes, because you won't let go!" Chara replied, batting at Frisk weakly, trying to annoy them more than hurt them. This only seemed to encourage Frisk, who nuzzled into Chara's shoulder. "Frisk, stop! What do you want from me?" Chara asked, desperate to get them to let go before the doors opened and someone else saw them. They still didn't like being touched much, but had gotten used to small things like holding hands when in crowds and the pats to the head Toriel liked to give, but hugging was still on their no list.

Frisk did end the hug and backed off, smiling from ear to ear, making Chara grumble. The last of the ride was in silence, and Chara hurried out of the elevator and onto the street that led through the city, Frisk and Asriel hurrying after them. A Whimsalot flew overhead, following the three as they made their way to the designated school building, soon being joined by throngs of other monster kids. Toriel and Asgore had decided that, instead of private tutors, their children should attend regular classes like everyone else so they could meet people, make friends, and live a more normal life. Plus, as Asgore had pointed out, it would be easier for Asriel to truly appreciate the rest of the monsters of the kingdom if he personally knew them and their troubles, and Frisk and Chara would be able to interact with everyone and become more comfortable in the underground.

With the addition of electricity relatively recently, the school had installed speakers which played bells and allowed the staff and principal to make announcements, as well as having things like lights and clocks and even some projectors, though most still used boards. There was even a computer class, though it was very limited as computers were still rare, and you needed dexterous appendages to work them properly, which many monsters didn't have. First though came the morning news, with all the children heading into their respective rooms when the bell sounded.

The three Dreemurrs had all the same classes. Frisk and Chara had scored almost exactly the same on tests given to determine their placements, further reinforcing the rumor amongst monsters that they were actually twins. Thus, while some subjects they had to have some help in, they were mostly on the same level as Asriel, and so were put in the same third grade class. Nothing interesting was announced, just more of the usual stuff about working hard and getting ready for tests, and the school day officially started. Every third grade student had essentially the same schedule: Reading/writing/comprehension, math, science, physical education, social studies, a new health class (mostly to teach young monsters how to not accidentally hurt humans with their magic use), and two electives made up of visual arts, music, dance, or drama. That last section is where the three children had differences. Asriel took visual art and drama, Chara chose visual are and dance, while Frisk chose music and dance.

Their teacher for the regular classes was a Vegetoid-like monster named Parsnik. It was a plant monster similar in shape to a carrot, but had several live snakes on top of its head which would move around either to give it a different 'hair' style, or to watch the class when it was facing the board. They also acted as the teacher's hands and feet so it could freely move around the room, and had a stool to allow it to write on a board high enough for all the children to see. Since the monster children were arranged by height and size, the Dreemurrs sat in the second row, right behind some sentient rock monsters.

The day proceeded as normal for the trio, each working diligently on their work under the watchful snake eyes of the teacher. Come lunch time everyone shuffled through the hallways to either get to the cafeteria or playground, as the school needed more room because of crowding. The three royal children usually ate together, along with whatever monsters decided to sit with them. Just as the three sat down to eat and talk like every day, along came a spider who sat down beside them and nearly scared Chara away.

Indeed, a bubbly young purple spider in a tattered dress sat down with them and started talking to them. "Ahuhuhu, I finally get to meet the humans. I'm Muffet, I just started attending after moving to the core, and if I had to guess I'd say that you," she said, using one of her six arms to indicate Frisk, "are Frisk the First, right dearie?" Frisk nodded, having heard that nickname being passed around about them since Chara had fallen. "Yep, that's me," they said with a smile. Muffet clapped her hands and gave an excited little squeal at having guessed right before looking to the other human. "So that makes you Chara the Second." Chara nodded with a groan. Apparently most monsters were as bad at naming as Asgore. "Yeah, t-that would be me."

Seeing his nervousness around her, Muffet's smile widened as she leaned in, Chara reflexively leaning back. "What's wrong, dearie," she asked, giving a wink, "too scared to talk to a cute lil girl like me?" "N-no! I'm just nervous around new people," they replied. Muffet just covered her mouth with one hand and gave a giggle before looking over to the last member of the little group. "And of course anyone would recognize our dear prince, Asriel," she said as she gave a small bow in her seat. The goat boy, in a little fluster, waved his hands in front of him as he said, "You don't have to bow, it's no big deal. And just call me Asriel, ok?" "Of course, your highness," said the bubbly spider, eliciting a groan from Asriel.

"Oh, there is another reason I came over than just meet you all. I wanted you to try something." With that, Muffet grabbed her lunch bag with two hands and, reaching in with three others, produced three cookies which she held out to the other children. "These are spider cookies, made with my family's secret recipe. I want to learn to bake and sell them someday, but I need to know if anyone other than spiders like them," she said, now looking a little nervous. "So if you three like them, I know I could do it, and it would even better since both the humans and royal family could endorse them!"

Seeing the little purple spider so worked up, Frisk and Asriel happily took the cookies offered. Chara took theirs too, though more slowly and carefully so as not to touch Muffet. Each child took a bite with the spider girl able to watch all three with her five eyes, holding her breath for their reactions. They chewed and swallowed, with Frisk speaking first. "That's really good. I'd buy some if you started selling them." Asriel voiced much the same opinion, "Yeah, the taste is unique but good." Chara was the last one to speak, "It's not bad, but never tasted a cookie quite like it before. What's in it?" Muffet was giddy with glee at this point, happy to have three great recommendations for the confections. Well, two great ones, and one that was just okay, but hey, two out of three isn't bad. "I can't give the recipe away, but it's made with what we call spider cider. It's made by spiders, for spiders..."

Each of the royal children took another bite of their cookies as Muffet talked, enjoying the treat. "...of spiders," she finished saying. At that, all three stopped chewing. Asriel looked at the baked snack, shrugged, and continued eating. It wasn't as good as his mom's snail pie, but still yummy nonetheless. Chara went wide eyed and spit the pieces out onto their hand, which then put them on a napkin from their lunch bag. They shuddered, feeling a bit queasy before looking over to Frisk and Asriel. _"Of course Azzy would like it,"_ they thought, but surely Frisk wouldn't dare eat spiders. Indeed the other human had stopped chewing and looked over to Muffet. "Made of spiders, huh?" they asked. Muffet nodded, her pigtails bobbing with her head. "Yep! It's a spider's favorite food." Frisk only gave a soft "huh" before looking back at the cookie. Then, to Chara's horror, they took another bite, looking like they enjoyed it. It was too much and Chara stood up and bolted for the door, holding their stomach and looking a little green. "Oh dear, was it something I said?" Muffet asked, all five eyes wide as she watched the human hurry off.

The rest of the day went by fairly normally, though Chara was almost sent home for being sick but assured the school nurse they were fine. They didn't throw up, since with monster food there was nothing to throw up. When the final bell rang, every student in the school hurriedly grabbed their packs, bags, and anything else they used to carry their books and supplies, making a beeline for the doors. The teachers had learned long ago to write the homework for the day during class, so everyone knew what was to be turned in the next day. Frisk, Chara, and Asriel took their time, waiting until most of the class was out the door before doing the same, not wanting to be in the middle of the homeward rush. Down the halls and out the doors all the children went, with parents waiting outside to walk many of them home. More often than not, Toriel would be waiting for them, but today the three would be walking home on their own.

As the three walked, they talked amongst themselves while waving and saying hello to monsters they encountered. At least, Asriel and Frisk did so. Chara, on the other hand, remained quiet and kept their eyes down, lost in thought. When asked if they were all right, they would just nod and give a small reassurance that they were. The other two children just thought it was because of the spider debacle from earlier and didn't pry further. The front door to their house came into view quickly, with Frisk and Asriel racing to be the first to it.

Asriel was the first to make it and entered the house, setting his backpack down by the door. The rest of the house was quieter than usual as Toriel and Asgore were both still at their meetings, giving the kids free reign until they were finished. Frisk was right behind their sibling, letting their book bag fall next to the door as well. Both hurried to the kitchen to get a snack before starting their homework, as was their usual routine. Chara lagged behind them, entering the house as the others two were sitting down to eat. They took their pack into the living room, sitting at the table across from their siblings. They took their books and papers out, doing their homework right away, which was unusual as they always ate a snack too.

"Chara, are you sure everything's okay?" Asriel asked, concern apparent in his voice. "I'm fine, Azzy," Chara replied, though without any inflections or emotions, not even exasperation at the question. Chara cut them off before they could ask anything else. "I think I'm just out of it a little since lunch. I'll be fine," they reassured, going straight into their homework. Asriel and Frisk exchanged worried looks, but left Chara alone, joining with their own homework once the snack was finished. Chara was done first, having had a head start, and after putting their stuff away decided to go out front and sit.

It wasn't long before the other two were done as well, with Frisk going into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Asriel had other plans though and went off into his shared room, pulling out his vhs camera and a tape. Sneaking out the front door, he saw Chara sitting against the wall and turned on the camera, setting it to record but leaving the lens cap on as he sprang out.

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera!" Caught off guard, Chara did as Asriel asked and gave their best smile. "Hah," said Asriel, "this time I got YOU! I left the cap on...ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee." Chara's smile faded as they rolled their eyes, then they looked back at their brother and an idea formed in their head. Not wanting to be heard on the tape, they quietly mumbled their question so Asriel could barely hear it. "What? Oh, yeah, I remember telling you about that. When Frisk and I tried to make butterscotch for Dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter..." Asriel's voice got low as he remembered. "But we accidentally put in buttercups instead." Chara again mumbled something that Asriel could hear, but not the camera. "Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset. I should have taken the blame for it, instead of Frisk..." Asriel sighed at those last words, wondering if, had he done something like that, Frisk wouldn't have tried to hurt themselves. "Um, anyway, where are you going with this?" More mumbling from Chara. "Huh? Turn off the camera...? Ok." Asriel pressed power and put the camera down as Chara got a scary looking grin on their face.

 _-X-_

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" All three children said one after the other as they headed out the door, closing it behind them. Both parents smiled, nuzzled noses, then headed down the stairs to head to the throne room. They walked hand in hand the whole way, heads held high, looking the very picture of royalty. They only separated when sitting in their thrones, placing the crowns upon their heads. Toriel would have been happy without them, but people were more comfortable with familiar traditions. A couple minutes later, the first monster was escorted in: a well dressed red fire monster. He seemed to have gotten out of his stripes a few short years ago. He bowed, a sound similar to the hissing of a fire log emanating from him. Asgore and Toriel, being creatures of magic, had no trouble understanding his unique way of speaking. "Greetings your Majesties. It's an honor to meet you both." His flames hissed and danced for each word as he continued. "My name is Grillby, and I'm here to ask for loan from the royal coffers."

The two rulers were intrigued, since most monsters used this time to make complaints or suggestions. Toriel was the first to speak up. "That is an odd request. What do you intend to do with this loan?" Grillby looked back up, looking between the two as he 'talked.' "I wish to open a restaurant, though not in New Home. I've heard many complaining about the growing crowds in the city, and some saying they were thinking of moving somewhere else. There's a small town near Home that I think will be a popular location for those looking for a new residence." He presented himself well and had an air of confidence, though a little bit of nervousness was seeping through. That wasn't unexpected given his request. There were a few more questions, like the kind of food that would be served and estimated costs, but in the end both Asgore and Toriel approved to the loan, having another monster from the treasury write up the agreement.

The rest of the day was spent in a similar way, with a monster or small group of monsters enter, voice their wants, needs, and concerns, and be given promises of action by the King and Queen if it was something they might be able to fix. There were breaks taken for lunch and dinner, with free food given to the monsters waiting their turn, but by the end several had to be turned away as there was not enough time to hear them. However, they were given assurances of getting to be first in line during the next session, which another monster had asked to be changed from once a year to once a month. Both royal members thought it was a good idea, though they would need some time to work on the details of how to go about it.

With the throne room empty of all except the two, and the rest of the monsters returning to their homes, Asgore and Toriel stood and stretched, having started to cramp sitting on their thrones for hours. Both gladly endured it in order to give their people hope and happiness though, and would work on addressing the concerns brought up. Both left the room, walking paw in paw through the room of light to the door at the end. A hug and a kiss between them lasted for a minute before they separated, each having plans for the evening. Toriel would head home and tend to the children, make sure they hadn't gotten in too much trouble, while Asgore had arrangements elsewhere. They walked together to the elevator and said their goodbyes, Toriel continuing on while Asgore stepped inside, letting it take him to the New Home ground level.

By this time, most monsters were at their homes with only a few places still open. One of these places was a gym which had recently opened that catered to many different kinds of monsters. They had the usual weight racks and even some working treadmills, a large pool, and a sparring ring. The only ones in at the moment were a couple Aarons that seemed to be having a flexing competition and a young figure lifting weights. They seemed much too small for the amount of weight being used, but were having no difficulties with it. Asgore approached them, listening to them count the reps. "Eighty five, eighty six, eighty seven..." He stood by, not wanting to interrupt and impressed at the progress they'd been making. As they set the weights down Asgore cleared his throat, causing them to turn and look at who was nearby.

A crop of loose red hair bobbed around with their blue head, pair of yellow eyes looking into Asgore's intently before their lips parted, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "About time you showed up, Asgore. Thought I'd have to practice with one of those guys over there." They said, pointing with their thumb at the two Aarons who had finished flexing and had moved on to comparing who could do more repetitions of various exercises. "Now now, remember what I said about choosing your fights carefully, Undyne," Asgore said as he shook his head with a smile. "Yeah yeah, don't attack innocent people, hurting other people isn't fun, yada yada. Could we just get to the sparring?" Undyne replied, eager to get started.

Asgore obliged the hotheaded girl and stepped into the sparring ring with her, standing in one corner as Undyne took the other. She looked at him as he stood there in his full royal attire, confused. "Aren't you going to change into something else? I mean, we are going to fight and not just talk about boring stuff like politics, right?" She asked, wondering why he hadn't done so before coming to the gym. "A warrior must be ready and able to fight at all times, regardless of what they're wearing," came Asgore's reply. Undyne stretched out, the fish child getting warmed up. "Fine, but it's your fault if they're ruined when I finally knock you down today!" With warm up stretches finished, she took her stance and rushed Asgore, intending on a solid shoulder tackle. Asgore just sidestepped, making Undyne run into the padded corner.

"An attack like that is best when the opponent is caught off guard, not when they're looking right at you," Asgore said, giving advice to his young opponent. She just turn to face him again and jumped back into the fray, throwing punches and kicks every which way. Yet no matter how hard she tried, Asgore easily dodged each one. "Your form is getting better, and you've learned how to throw a proper punch. You've also gotten a lot faster and stronger since we first started." The talking was proceeded with a loud "Ngahh!" from Undyne as she was able to grab Asgore's leg, attempting to suplex him. Failing that, she tried for a trip, which also went nowhere. _"Not quite strong enough though,"_ Asgore thought to himself, knowing that kind of comment would only make her mad. Instead, he just plucked Undyne off his leg and set her back down.

"Nice battle cry, very intimidating," he praised, earning another large, toothy grin from the blue fish girl. "Thanks, been working on it when I train on my own," she replied. "So, ready for the weapon training?" she asked as she held out her hands, willing a blue spear into them. Asgore shook his head though. "Not tonight. It's late and I haven't been home all day, and I want to see my wife and children." Undyne gave huff when replying with "Come on, that's not fair. I've been waiting all day! School was so boring compared to this." Asgore thought on it a moment, then came up with an idea. "Well then, how about next week you come to my house and you can train with me and the family. We'll make a day out of training. I'm sure Frisk and Chara would enjoy training with someone other than me."

Undyne was a bit taken back. Not only was she going to train at Asgore's place with him, but the two humans would be there as well. She'd be able to see how well a human could fight, if the legends of them being able to easily defeat monsters was true. This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. "Heck yeah, I'd love to train at your place! I bet your kids and I will become besties in no time!" Undyne quickly said, letting her spear disappear as she dropped it.

The two said their goodbyes and Asgore left while Undyne took a few laps around the pool to get re-hydrated. After drying off, she grabbed what she brought to the gym and headed out the door, turning it into a full sprint once out of the building. She kept the pace up the whole way through New Home to her parent's house, going straight to her room. She was so excited for the next week, she wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep. Grabbing a change of clothes, she bathed, the cool water feeling refreshing against her soft scales. Once finished, she made her way down to the kitchen to make something to eat, knowing her parents weren't home. They worked at the core as the night shift, meaning they were almost never home when Undyne was. That just meant she'd learned to take care of herself and become strong!

Finally, with a full stomach, clean skin, and exhaustion setting in from the day's training, Undyne flopped into bed, her head filled with ideas about what the two humans were like as she drifted off to sleep.


	11. New Plan

**Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience for chapter eleven of First Tale. I'm sorry it's been so long, and hope the wait will be worth it. Been thinking long and hard about what I wanted to happen and what direction I wanted to the story to take, so this should set the tone for things to come.**

 **I am still having a blast writing this when I get the time, energy, and inspiration. I can go days without writing a thing, put down a sentence or two other days, and the suddenly write five pages in a sitting! Course about half of that gets rewritten, either for better details or to change it completely. I'm also going to start writing for a second Undertale story. It'll follow the main story more closely, but will still have a few new twists, and a tweaked writing style. If you enjoy this story, keep an eye out for that one.  
**

 **As for some reviews and questions:**

 **Snowfallinginthenight - I'm really glad you're enjoying the story! Hope I put enough Chara conflict in this one for you!**

 **ChaoticallyAwkward - Chara yes!**

 **Maniacaldude - That little flower problem is taken care of in the story, and I bet you didn't see this direction coming!**

 **that random catd - This takes place around the time Chara fell in the original timeline, only instead Frisk was alive and fell first, followed by Chara a year later. Since there's no canon explanation for how much time passed between humans falling, I'm taking a few liberties with it. Undyne is not a baby, but she is a child, probably within a year or two of Frisk's age.**

* * *

"NO!" The volume and ferocity of that word caught Chara off guard, as they had expected at most a little hesitant resistance before their plan was accepted. That's what crybabies did when told to do something they didn't want. Yet instead of a meek response by an unsure kid, what Chara got was a loud, angry shout with so much conviction that it took them by surprise and left them speechless for a moment. All they could do was look at Asriel's face in surprise, seeing an intensity in his eyes that had never been there before.

"I WOULD NEVER LET YOU DO THAT, CHARA! HOW COULD YOU EVEN ASK ME TO?" Asriel yelled out, staring straight back into Chara's eyes. The human could see not only anger, but hurt behind those eyes, as if Asriel had been part of something similar that went badly. They stammered to answer, though their conviction was all but drained. "C-c'mon Azzy, it's the only way. Don't you...don't you want to see the surface? Don't you want to free everyone?" While they imagined themselves saying that confidently enough to sway their brother to seeing their perspective, instead they sounded like they were pleading for a losing cause.

"I wouldn't help you with that even if I could! Frisk destroyed the buttercups in the garden a long time ago, and most monsters got rid of them after learning that's what made dad sick." Chara had forgotten that part of the story, since it was rarely brought up; how Frisk had fallen into a state of 'nothingness,' as they called it, from blaming themselves for Asgore getting poisoned, only to become so angry at the sight of the flowers that they later went to the garden alone and obliterated all yellow ones. They even remembered going through the garden and commenting on how there were no yellow flowers, so why did they now think they could easily get buttercups for their plan? It had just felt like it was what they should do, what they had to do.

Before Chara could plead their case any more, Asriel grabbed his camera and headed back inside. "Great, I've pissed him off. I've never seen him so mad before. Just proves how horrible I really am," they muttered to themselves with a sigh, lost in their own dark thoughts. They were snapped out of it a minute later when the door to the house was thrown open, followed by the sound of Frisk yelling "CHARA!" They barely had time to turn and look at the door before they were roughly tackled to the ground with a weight on top of their chest. Looking up, they saw Frisk, but not like they'd ever seen their sibling before.

Chara thought they'd seen true anger when Asriel yelled at them, saw the fire of resistance in his eyes. The look on Frisk's face was on a whole other level. Their brow was furrowed deeply, their mouth deformed into a beastly snarl, and their eyes... Chara swore those eyes were burrowing into theirs, the bright red glowing orbs doing their best to tear out their soul through sight alone. Frisk had told Chara before how they looked during their first meeting, and Chara had imagined something similar, but to see it so close and directed firmly on them was another matter.

"Frisk, what are you doing?" Asriel called out from behind Frisk after closing the door to the house, but the child didn't hear their brother, instead all their attention sat squarely on their adopted twin. They kneeled on their chest, hands holding their arms down. Their jaw clenched hard as they looked down, body trembling slightly from the rush of adrenaline. "Why did you ask Azzy to kill you!?" Chara looked away, unable to look Frisk in the eyes. "Because I'm not a good person, because Azzy needs to stop being such a baby, and because with my soul he could easily go to the surface and get enough to break the barrier," Chara said, stubbornly refusing to meet Frisk's gaze.

Frisk wouldn't, no, couldn't accept any of that answer. After everything that happened, all the time Chara had spent down here, and that's what they came up with? It got Frisk's blood boiling. "YOU IDIOT!" Frisk shouted as they let go of Chara's arm, raising their own and forming a tight fist. Once Chara's arm was free, they subconsciously reached their hand into their pocket, grabbing hold of the handle of the knife they kept. Asriel gasped and held out their hand. "Frisk, don't!" he cried out while taking a step forwards, but he was too late. Frisk's fist came down hard, Chara flinching and moving their hand at the movement, fully expecting to be clobbered. Instead, there was a heavy thud followed immediately by the sound of bones cracking and breaking, making Chara pause and turn their head. They saw Frisk's fist on the hard stone ground right in front of them, knuckles scraped and some fingers bent out of shape. Asriel moved up beside the pair and knelt down, gasping when they saw what had happened. "Frisk, your hand! We need to get it healed."

Frisk ignored him for a moment, their attention set on Chara, who had begun giggling in their nervous way, turning into a body-shaking chuckle. "You're wrong, Chara..." Frisk said, their voice low. They were about to say something else when the door behind them swung open, grabbing everyone's attention. "Children, are you out here? I heard a commotion..." Toriel said, pausing as she took in the scene before her. Her son looking scared and worried beside her two adopted human children, one with a broken hand holding down the other, as the second held a knife up to the first's side.

Toriel moved quickly, snatching Frisk by the back of their shirt and pulling them off Chara while using the other hand to grasp Chara's that held the knife. "I can't believe you three," she said. "One afternoon alone and you almost kill each other! Needless to say you are all in very big trouble." As she spoke she looked between the three kids, all of them trying to avoid her gaze. "Asriel, take the knife from Chara." The goat boy did so with a quiet, "Yes Mom." She still held Chara's wrist and hoisted them up onto their feet. "Now we're all going inside, getting you all healed, and you're going to tell me everything about what I just saw and why."

It was some time later that the three children sat at the table in silence while Toriel worked in the kitchen getting dinner ready. The majority of her attention was on her kids and trying to process what they had told her. It was disheartening when she heard that Chara had wanted to kill themselves, and horrifying when the rest of their plan had been revealed. She could understand Frisk's anger when Asriel had told them, as a part of her felt the same. Nevertheless, she had to keep her composure and wait for Asgore, as this was something that needed to be discussed with him. She couldn't keep this from him like she did with Frisk, as Chara not only defended what they tried to do, but still wanted to go through with it.

The problem was there was no easy way to fix this. Chara had all the positive reinforcement in the world, and a punishment would do no good. What Chara needed was someone to talk to that understood human emotions and thoughts, but anyone like that in the underground had become dust long ago. Captain Gerson might have some ideas as he was around before the war, but he wasn't any kind of human expert. _"Perhaps Dr. Gaster would be best. Even if he doesn't know what to do, maybe he would know who does,"_ Toriel thought, making a mental note to bring that up with her husband. In the here and now though, she had a pot of noodles and boiling water on one side of the stove and a simmering red sauce on the other, each warmed by fire magic originating from the monster woman's hands. A simple spaghetti dinner that allowed her to concentrate on the other matters running through her head. It was just as Toriel was draining the water from the pot that she heard the main door close, signaling her husband's return. She thought he'd arrive earlier than normal from the training, as the day had been draining for the both of them, and was only going to get worse.

Asgore stepped inside, pausing a moment to sniff the air and take in the scent of dinner before heading to the kitchen to see his wife and children. He gave a big warm "Howdy" to the three kids that sat at the table, only to sense something was wrong. "Hi Dad," Asriel said quietly, looking up at him a moment before sighing and going back to doing nothing. "Hey Dad," came Frisk's reply, so quiet even Asgore's large ears strained to hear it, and only being given a cursory glance before their eyes went back to their original target, Chara. Chara meanwhile didn't respond at all, didn't even move their eyes off the table. They just sat there with a grim expression on their face. If it wasn't for the slight movements of their breathing, they could have been mistaken for a statue. The atmosphere in the house hadn't been this tense since Chara had first fallen. Toriel's deep frown and furrowed brow only heightened Asgore's sense of unease.

"Tori, what is going on?" Asgore asked, worried and confused. "We will discuss it after dinner, Asgore," Toriel said. "For now, please set the table." With that short and curt reply, she went back to the kitchen to finish mixing the noodles and sauce while her husband took the plates and silverware into the main room. He hadn't even had time yet to change from his clothes, but he would do that after dinner, then hear about what was bothering everyone.

Dinner was good, though it wasn't made with Toriel's usual care and attention. Everyone was silent while eating, and only Asgore finished their plate. "Let me go change, then we can have this discussion," he said before standing up and walking back to his room. He noticed that Toriel was the only one to stand and grab the plates to take to the kitchen, when normally everyone took their own. It was only a couple minutes later that he returned, wearing comfortable slacks and loose shirt. Again, none of the children seemed to have moved an inch, and Toriel was sitting at the end of the table again, so Asgore took the other end.

"Now Tori, what is it you have to tell me? I assume it has something to do with the children by how they're acting." Toriel took a moment to compose herself, breathing deeply, then telling the story of how she came home, heard yelling outside, and found the three in a brawl. She then repeated the story told to her of how Chara had asked Asriel to find some buttercup flowers so the boy could take their soul, and how Frisk reacted angrily when told, resulting in finding Frisk with a broken hand and Chara holding a knife to their sibling. Asgore remained silent when all was being told, looking over at his three children when their parts came up. None of them could look him in the eyes, though Frisk and Asriel did glance up now and then. Chara just stared at the table, expression one of barely held anger, especially when Asgore was told of how they were unrepentant.

"So the question is, what are we to do about this?" Toriel asked as she finished the tale. "This is something that affects all of us, so we need to find a solution as a family." Asgore nodded absently, his mind doing its best to comprehend everything he'd been told. Chara had wanted to kill themselves in a way that wasn't possible anymore, so he began to form an idea. "I believe that the first thing we should do is remove anything else that Chara could use to harm themselves or others," he began. "No more knives would be the easiest part. Anything else that can cut, stab, or bash should be gotten rid of or altered to make it safer." Toriel nodded as she listened, speaking once her husband was done. "Gorey, that's all well and good, but we should also try to find a way to make Chara not want to do that in the first place. I would suggest having a talk with Dr. Gaster and see if he, or one of his colleagues, would be able to help."

The discussion continued through the night, with occasional input from Frisk and Asriel. Chara chose to stay silent through the entire thing. Before heading to bed, the family did what they could to make the house safer. Knives were removed, Asgore filed down the fireplace tools, pencils and pens were gathered up to leave only soft crayons and markers. It was also determined that, when not home. Chara would always have a royal guard nearby to watch them, with the rest given instructions that if they saw the human child without an escort, they were to follow them and keep them from harm. If Chara found something that could be dangerous, it was to be taken from them. Asgore resolved to talk to Gaster the next day as they all retired to bed, trusting Frisk and Asriel to watch over Chara that night.

 _-X-_

Chara sighed, annoyed and embarrassed as they walked home from school with Frisk, Asriel, and a white dog in large armor. It had been this way all week, much to Chara's chagrin. Any time they stepped foot out of the house, there was a guard to follow right by them, constantly watching over them. Not to mention that word got out about what they tried to do, resulting in numerous monsters approaching them and the king and queen to see if they could help in any way. Such an outpouring of support for the young child might've made most others reconsider their commitment to harming themselves, but for Chara, seeing so many people concerned for them only steeled their resolve.

Everyone had been watching Chara closely for the past week, but Frisk was the worst of them all. It seemed every time Chara looked at Frisk, Frisk was staring right back. Anywhere Chara went, Frisk was right on their heels, and usually any place Frisk went, Asriel followed. The only place Chara could find privacy was the house bath room, but even then Frisk was waiting outside the door. Chara wasn't sure if they were so attentive because they cared or because they were still angry, but considering barely another word had passed between them, they assumed it was the latter. "Great," thought Chara, "I managed to make the only decent human I've ever met hate me."

There was some good news though. This was training day, where Chara could cut loose and let off some steam, even if they weren't skilled enough yet to hit Asgore. Frisk and Asriel were, when Asgore took it easy, but they didn't like to, even if it was just practice and not real fighting. Frisk also seemed to be getting a grasp on magic use. They couldn't create anything on their own yet, but they could take one of the other Dreemurr's flames or stars and sustain it, and were close to creating their own magic weapon. Asriel had given his magic attacks the most ridiculous names, even coming up with what he imagined he might look like when older, calling himself "The God of Hyperdeath." He had apparently been doing so before Chara even fell, but once the second human found out they teased Asriel mercilessly for a while, though the young goat monster was not deterred.

There was also the fact that another monster was joining them in fighting practice, some fish-like monster named Undyne. Apparently she was very strong for a monster and loved to fight, so very few monsters could stand up to her. One of them was Asgore, who was trying to reign in her temper and let her channel it into something more positive, so that instead of fighting people she could protect them.

"Yeah Mom, we're almost there. Ok, see you in a bit. Love you too." Asriel said as he hung up his cell phone, stuffing it back into his pocket. As with Frisk, he got his own on his birthday, and Chara had been promised one on their birthday as well, so they were supposed to get it soon. It wasn't long until they all reached the front door to their house in New Home, Toriel greeting them with the door open. Chara headed straight in as the Greater Dog bowed to the queen, giving a squeaking bark and tail wag as Asriel and Frisk pet it before they headed inside as well. Toriel as well gave the dog a pat before dismissing it.

The three children were just putting their things down by the door when they heard a great yell. " **NGAAAAH! I'm so bored! Can't we just start without them?** " None of them had ever heard someone like that and rushed into the living room to see what all the fuss was. King Asgore was standing there, in his set of armor, in front of a another monster who had their back to the kids. What they could see though was some crude armor that was a little to big being worn by a monster girl with blue scales and shoulder length red hair. "Undyne, they just got home, so we will start soon," replied Asgore, looking over her shoulder behind her. She turned around, her grin exposing her large, sharp teeth as her yellow eyes looked them over, the snake-like pupils moving across them. "It's about time you bra...er, kids got here! Now we can get to the training!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, making Chara even more anxious to get started, while Frisk and Asriel just looked anxious in general. All six of them headed downstairs, going past the throne room and into the barrier room. It was one of the best places to really let loose while training, as three of the walls were hard stone, and the other was the unbreakable barrier. Once there, they split into two groups of three. Asriel, Frisk, and Toriel would stay by the entrance and practice magic, while Chara, Undyne, and Asgore would practice with a fight.

"Ok Frisk, let us see your progress," Toriel said, standing in front of the human, who responded with "Ok Mom." Frisk closed their eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated. Tuning out everything else, they focused inward to their soul. Pulling it out was no problem, both humans having learned that soon after falling. This was different, leaving it in while still accessing the power from it. Frisk could see in in their mind's eye, the glow pulsing with their heartbeat, full of untapped magic waiting to burst forth. However, it was locked away, and the young child was so close to unlocking it. They couldn't force it open, instead it had to be done naturally.

Magic came easy to monsters since their bodies were basically magic dust held together by their souls, but with humans being made of water and bones and such, they were far less attuned to their very being. However, this allowed their souls to grow even more powerful as they were not hindered by holding a form together. So powerful, in fact, that even every monster soul in the underground combined could barely match a single human soul.

Thus Frisk stood there in a near trance, doing their best to feel the power radiating from their soul and will it into shape, which could be nearly anything. Every type of monster had specific magic properties, able to mold their soul's magic into fire, weapons, pellets, ice, and all sorts of other things at will. Usually, monsters of the same type would have the same magic, but not always. Both Toriel and Asgore could use fire magic for example, but while Asgore could not use healing magic, Toriel could not create a weapon. Neither of them could use Asriel's star magic, though he did have his father's ability to create a weapon, or rather two: little daggers that glowed in rainbow hues.

The first time, Frisk had been confused by the way the magic had swirled around their soul's visualization. Now they could see patterns and the ebb and flow of it, and all the had to do was reach out with their will and shape it. While doing so, they subconsciously raised their actual arms and a red glow appeared around both. The magic along their left arm was manifesting at their forearm, while on their right magic extended out from their hand. They almost had it!

However, it was clear that Frisk was really exerting themselves and it was taking a toll, the effort making it so the child was fatigued and losing concentration. Their magic sputtered a bit before fizzling out completely, much to the human child's disappointment. Their meditative state finished, they bent over, panting like they'd just run several miles and sweating bullets. They could've done it, if they'd held on just a little more. This was one of the times where they were tempted to try out one of the things from the star points called Load. So far they'd never used one, and probably never would, but the temptation was there.

Toriel, meanwhile, was unbelievably jubilant. "My child, that was splendid! You have been progressing wonderfully. At this rate I am sure you will get it next time." Asriel joined in on the excitement, giving Frisk encouragements. "Yeah, it looked like it was going to be cool. I can't wait to see you get it next time!" Hearing such love and encouragement, even though they failed, filled Frisk with the determination to get it next practice session.

While that was going on, Asgore stood in front of Undyne and Chara, back to the barrier. "Undyne, as the guest, you may have the first fight. Chara, I want you to watch how we fight, especially Undyne's style." Chara nodded and moved to the side of the room to watch. Asgore barely moved while the fish girl took a ready stance after placing a metal helmet on her head. Where she got it from, Chara could only guess.

"Today's the day I knock you down, old man!" Undyne yelled out and rushed at Asgore, surprising Chara at her agility, and then again at her strength when the king dodged to the side and her fist slammed into the barrier and caused a loud clang from her gauntlets. It was obvious that not only was she fast and strong, but Asgore had been teaching her to fight a lot longer than Chara.

It felt like the room shook each time one of Undyne's attacks missed their mark and instead hit stone or magic barrier, and her enthusiasm never seemed to wane. Instead, she just seemed more driven to land a solid blow each time her fist hit air instead of her king. It was pretty obvious too that Asgore wasn't taking it easy, very narrowly avoiding several blows. However, he had the stamina necessary to outlast the fish girl as she threw everything she had into each attack, soon tiring herself out. "Undyne, remember your pacing. If you use your strongest attacks first, then everything else you have will be easier to dodge and you will tire yourself out more quickly," Asgore said in a calm tone that belied the exertion from the fight he just had. Chara was disappointed, having thought Undyne might be able to at least get one hit in. However, she was close, and all three knew it was just a matter of time.

Huffing and panting, sweat dripping from all over, Undyne wiped her brow as she stared at Asgore. They both knew she was too tired to continue, but she was too proud to actually say it. Instead, she walked away, going to the wall that Chara was sitting by and leaned her back against it. "Ok squirt, I had my fun. Now I want to see how a human fights," she said, looking down at Chara with a half-smile.

Chara stood, dusted off their shorts, and took their place in front of Asgore. It looked similar to how Undyne's fight started up to the point where Chara's soul burst from their chest as floated in front of them. The first time that had happened, they freaked, thinking somehow their actual heart or soul was being stolen. While their soul was outside of their body, it still had a connection with their body, unable to move more than a few inches away. The only known way that connection could be severed was through death, a fact the young human was all too aware of. Now though, Chara was used to the sensation, having gone through it with every practice fight.

Chara took a few steps at a walking pace, looking like they would try to move to Asgore's side and attack his flank, only take a heavy step to launch them into a run straight for him, closing the gap after a moment. Their speed was impressive, just under what Undyne had shown. _"Not bad for a human runt,."_ she thought as she watched Asgore quickly dodge to the right side to escape a left punch. Chara had expected it and swung their right leg to the side, making Asgore have to jump backwards. Unfortunately for him, this put him against the barrier. His movements were slower than normal after the energy he put into dodging Undyne, and he knew that Chara was holding back, both to preserve their stamina and to not accidentally hurt him. He had to hand it to the human children, they were quick learners.

Thinking Asgore cornered, Chara leaped at the king, going for punch to his chest. Asgore hesitated, knowing that if he dodged like normal, Chara would hit their hand and hurt themselves, so he did something different. In a flash of red that nearly matched Chara's own eye color, Asgore's trident appeared in his hands across his chest, taking the hit from Chara at the last second. Asgore's arms were pushed back, softening the blow to both of them, and Chara landed on their feet before backing up. "Good job, Chara. You saw a weakness and exploited it to gain an advantage, forcing me to block instead of dodge. However, you also left yourself open with that attack. Had I pointed my weapon towards you instead of to the side, I would have severed part of your connection to your soul as well as stabbed you. Always try to learn what your opponent is capable of so you do not get surprised by such things," Asgore said in his best teaching voice, loud enough so that both his adopted child and Undyne could hear him so they could both learn.

Asgore let his weapon dissipate and stepped away from the barrier, looking a little worn down but ready to continue. Chara's soul illuminated their face in a soft red shade, giving a pulse along with each heartbeat. One both combatants were ready again, Chara took off, staying low and fast to go for a chop to Asgore's right leg. The attack missed the the monster hopped, lifting his leg above Chara, but the child just went under him, slid to a stop, then launched themselves at Asgore from behind. They swung their arm, hitting the cape and then connecting with...nothing. Asgore had spun quickly, their cape taking a second longer to move, causing Chara to get tangled in the fabric and fall to the floor. The force of Chara slamming into the cape and falling in it was enough to drag Asgore down too, landing on their back beside the child with an audible "Oomph."

When Asgore fell, all eyes in the room turned to look, wondering if one of the trainees had successfully landed a blow. That idea was quickly dismissed by Undyne. "You almost had him!" she said loudly, clearly having been into the fight. Chara sat up and rubbed their head, having bumped it on their landing, and felt a small lump starting to form. Asgore groaned as he got up, the two fights in a row having taxed him more than he thought it would. "I must be out of shape," he said mostly to himself. "Used to be able to train three at a time with no problem."

As both the monster and human got up, Asgore called a pause to the training. "Seems like a good time to take a break. I'm sure a little refreshment would benefit all of us." Undyne shook her head, red hair bouncing back and forth behind her. "You kidding? I'm too hyped to eat right now. I'm gonna train some more for the next part of the training." Chara shrugged and sat against wall next to the door, saying, "I don't really want to go inside right now." Frisk looked over to them, seeing their sibling breathing somewhat hard after the small practice fight, and not wanting to leave them alone. However, something to eat did sound good, since they never got a snack when they got home, instead going straight to training.

Toriel gave a patient smile to Chara. "Very well my child. We'll bring you and Undyne something when we return." She then turned to the fish monster, who was busy shadowboxing barrier. "Undyne, be a dear and keep an eye on Chara." Toriel called out, causing Undyne to turn around. "Don't worry ma'am, they won't leave my sight even if I have to hold them in place!" came the fish girl's enthusiastic answer. Toriel gave a slightly nervous chuckle. "Well, I'm sure that won't be necessary. Come along Frisk, Asriel. Let's get you some tea and food." With that, Toriel took her other two children by the hand and led them back home, with Asgore following right behind. Frisk never let their eyes move away from Chara until they physically couldn't see them anymore.

Chara had noticed, of course. They always knew when people were staring at them. Once everyone but them and Undyne were gone, they sighed and brought their knees up, resting their head on them. They could hear the monster striking the barrier, their fists seemingly making the chamber they were in quake, as well as her loud vocalizations reverberating through the room. It took a couple minutes, but soon Chara could make out that Undyne was actually saying something through the grunts and yells.

"Stupid barrier. I will destroy you. Monsters will go free." Chara listened to her go on, knowing how she felt. They wanted to remove the barrier too, and had Asriel gone with the plan instead being a whiny baby, it monster's would've been on the surface by now. But he proved he was too weak, too soft. They would need someone strong, someone brave, someone like...

Their head shot up, eyes glowing brightly as they looked at Undyne. _"Someone like her,"_ they thought to themselves. A smile slowly spread on their face as they stood and took a few steps forward. "Undyne," they said in a normal voice. When the fish monster just kept punching the barrier, Chara got louder. "Undyne!" That got Undyne's attention, making her turn around and look at Chara, sweat visible all over her head. "Yeah, what do you want?" she asked, annoyed about the interruption. "I want to help."

Undyne cocked her head to the side in confusion, before bursting out in laughter. "HAHAHAHA, you want to help me? Kid, I watched you fight, and the only reason you got anywhere close to hitting Asgore was because I softened him up for you. If you try to help me train, you won't last a second." Chara's smile only widened as they listened, more sure than ever this was the right idea. "I didn't mean help you train, Undyne. I meant help you destroy the barrier, free monsters, and become a hero." Undyne scowled, crossing her arms in front of her. "And how would a punk like you do that?"

"I wouldn't..." Chara said, then held out their hands, materializing their soul into it. "...but this would." Undyne stood there, dumbfounded. _"Are they really saying what I think they are?"_ she asked herself, too shocked to say anything. Chara took the silence as an opportunity to continue. "Think about it. You need a strong soul to cross the barrier, like that of a human and monster combined. Then once past the barrier, you can just take six more human souls, come back, and destroy the barrier completely. If any humans try to stop you, then you can just take their soul."

Undyne shook her head to clear it, then looked at Chara. "Kid, you realize what you're asking, right? There's only one way I can take your soul, and it isn't pretty." Chara nodded, face bathed in the warm red light of their soul. "I know, and I still want to do it. I've heard the stories of how humans attacked monsters, sealed them away, and caused to much suffering. Even today, they're not any better, hating anyone weak or different. It's why both Frisk and I came here, to get away from humans. They're evil and don't deserve the surface, but monsters do. That's why I'd give my life to set them free."

Undyne's face was scrunched up, hands balled into fists as she tried to think. "Look, I've beat up a lot of people to prove I'm strong, even innocent people, but I've never killed any. I don't plan" "I have." Chara interrupted. Undyne looked at the smiling face of the human for a moment. "Psh, don't kid around." Chara's face changed slowly, still smiling widely, but the look in their eyes had changed, making Undyne want to recoil from how creepy it looked, but she kept her composure. "I killed another human up there. Stabbed them in the stomach when no one else was around and left them." Chara started laughing, a broken, scary laugh. "I'm not a good person, Undyne. I murdered someone in cold blood, and I ENJOYED it. I'd wipe out all humans if I could...well, almost all."

Shadows caused by the changing light of the barrier danced around the two in a hypnotizing way, though neither paid any attention to them. Undyne had closed her eyes, listening to Chara's words and thinking about what they wanted her to do. She didn't want to kill someone, especially an innocent kid, but she'd always wanted to prove she was strong and heroic, and wouldn't freeing monsters absolutely do that? Wasn't it worth one human life, especially if they willingly gave it up? After a few minutes, her face contorting with her thoughts all the while, she opened her eyes and looked at Chara. "Why are you doing this?" "For monsterkind, as they're the only ones worth anything," Chara replied. "Do you realize the turmoil this could cause?" Undyne asked, voice growing louder.

"Yes, but my soul will endure," came Chara's reply. Undyne's frown deepened as she responded, "But your family may not. This KINGDOM may not." Chara's smile faltered a little, but didn't disappear. "I know the risks, but this is my decision." At that, Undyne uncrossed her arms and pointed at the human child, voice getting even louder. "Even when that decision could tear apart your home and everyone in it?" Chara just nodded and said, "Yes." Undyne took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hands moving to her sides. "Well then, if you are absolutely, completely, utterly, perfectly, entirely, horrifically, killyourselfically certain..." she said, voice rising continuously, only to drop low with the next words. "...then let's do it."

Chara gave their biggest smile, chuckling to themselves. To Undyne, it sounded like they were becoming unhinged in the head, but anyone else listening would've known that was their way of showing fear. Even though they were certain this is what they wanted, they couldn't help but grow weak at the thought of going through with it. Still, they'd convinced Undyne, and they weren't going to back out now. They stood proud and tall as they could, arms outstretched. They saw Undyne a ways across from them, holding her hand up. A blue light appeared, coalescing into a magic spear.

"Last chance to change your mind, kid," she said. Chara shook their head. "Just do me one favor. Tell Mom and Dad I love them, tell Asriel to be strong, and tell Frisk..." they hesitated, trying to find the right words. "...that I'm sorry for ruining everything, and they're the only good human I've ever met." Undyne nodded grimly "Sure thing. Little sappy for my taste, but I'll let them all know. Now, here we go!"

Chara closed their eyes as Undyne pulled her arm back then took a step forward. They wondered just how much power she put into it as the footstep seemed to echo from their side. Undyne threw the spear hard with a grunt, aiming right at Chara's soul to sever the connection in one go. Again, it sounded like an echo coming from Chara's side. Next thing Chara was aware of was the impact, hard enough to send them flying. The only problem was, they were hit from the wrong side, getting slammed on their left instead of from straight ahead. As they hit the ground rolling, they heard something else fall with a thud and something shatter. Once they stopped, they opened their eyes and looked down at themselves, seeing their soul perfectly intact and still tethered to them. In confusion, they looked to where they were, and their heart filled with dread.

A little behind where they were standing seconds ago was a crumpled pile of clothing. It was a blue shirt with pink stripes, and a pair of tan shorts beneath. The magic spear was going through the very middle of it, with a fractured, red, glowing heart stuck to the shaft. There was also a pool of dark liquid beginning to stain those clothes, which was coming from the groaning tan skinned, brown haired human in those clothes. Chara crawled towards them and reached out a shaking hand to turn the clothes over, terrified of confirming what they already knew.

The world felt as if it turned to ice as Frisk looked back at them, holding up a pale, unsteady hand. "Are you...okay?" Frisk asked, having trouble finding their voice. The heart stuck to the spear continued to crack more with every little movement. Chara took Frisk's hand, leaning over them. "I'm fine Frisk, but you're not. We have to get you home so Mom can heal you." Chara's eyes were wide open, the shock of what was happening sending adrenaline through their body. They tried to pick up Frisk, but stopped after a cry of pain. "Frisk, hold on! I'll run and get someone, and we can..." Frisk just squeezed Chara's hand weakly, making them stop and look down, seeing the light in their eyes fading fast. "I think you can be a good person too, if you tried." Frisk gave a small smile, despite the pain.

"Frisk, don't go! I'm sorry! You can hate me all you want, but please hang on! I don't want to lose you, you're like a sister to me! You're more than that!" Chara could feel their tears start to well up and fall down their face, but for once in their life they didn't try to hide it. Frisk's reply came as barely a whisper, Chara straining to hear it. "You're more than a sister to me too. Don't worry, we'll see each other again...when...I..." With her sentence unfinished, Frisk's body went completely limp and the tether holding her soul to her body shattered.

"Frisk? FRISK!?" Chara called out, but received no answer. She began to openly bawl, crying into the body of the only human she had ever cared for, knowing their death was all her fault. She wished she could take it back, that she could somehow go back in time and stop this from happening, but she'd never seen the stars, never discovered the ability to save and possibly load or reset, so she had to face the consequences of her actions.

Frisk, however, DID see the save stars and learned about loading and saving, and even though she wasn't attached to her body anymore, she was still aware. She could hear someone crying, most likely Chara, though everything was black all around her. Something Asgore said to her when she had a bad case of the flu once came through her mind. "You must stay determined, Frisk. You will get through this." Frisk remembered that she did indeed make it through, and she was filled with determination to set things right. She brought up the feeling she'd get when touching the stars, and before her were two choices: Load and Reset. She concentrated and sent all her will power to Load, a strange sensation overcoming her soul, like it was being pulled backwards, her consciousness becoming distorted, before...nothing. Confused, she looked to where the choices were, and below them she saw something that would've made her heart sink if she still had one.

 _ **Load failed.**_

* * *

 _ **Hope you all had as much fun reading that as I had writing it.  
**_

 _ ***laughs evilly***_

 _ **See you next chapter!**_


	12. Loading Circle

**ChaoticallyAwkward: Yes, the pronouns were switched, and yes it was intentional.**

 **Fanfic girl of all worlds: Some serious stuff, that's what happened.**

 **OnePunchFan8: Thank you for the kind words! You pretty much hit the nail on the head as to why the load isn't working. However, a reset wouldn't work for the same reason, so number 2 is out. For number 1, that is one possible way, though there is a third option that kind of ties into that one...**

* * *

Undyne stood in place, dumbfounded. Everything went perfectly, except it didn't. Her spear was strong enough to shatter the connection between the human child's soul and their body, it was aimed and thrown precisely and accurately, and hit the soul right on the mark. The only problem was that it hit the wrong soul. Instead of sinking into the child willingly giving their soul away, her spear had killed the other one as they were trying to protect the first.

She had been able to justify to herself killing Chara, who she now knew was a girl, because she was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of all monsters, something which Undyne could admire. But once she realized what had happened, she felt nothing but shame. Killing a child trying to protect their friend was murder. Pure, inarguable, cold-blooded murder. Her mind raced through thought after thought, trying to find some way, any way, to salvage the situation. The wails and cries of Chara weren't helping any.

"Hey, kid..." Undyne said as she moved forward, voice shaky. "I...I don't know what to say other than I'm sorry." She could see Chara tense up, but the human had slowed their crying down to just a few sniffles as she breathed, which the young Undyne took as a good sign. "If I had known, I would never have thrown that spear. But, we can still do something." Undyne looked at the bright red soul, Frisk's soul, floating in front of Chara, the blue spear having dissipated. Chara was no longer crying at all, but seemed to be shaking instead. "I can take her soul to cross the barrier instead of yours. The plan can still work, and you don't have to get hurt at all." Now standing behind Chara, she reached ahead for Frisk's soul. "Win win, right?"

Before Undyne could grab the heart, Chara's right hand shot out and grasped it, pulling it in towards herself. "Don't touch her." Even though Chara said it quietly, Undyne could practically feel the seething rage from those words. It made the young monster girl want to pull her hand back, but she kept her composure. "Come on. You still want monsters to be free right? Well here's our chance." Undyne was hoping that by freeing the monsters, she could escape the guilt that was seeping into her, as well as be forgiven by the royal family.

From the moment Undyne started talking, Chara had fixated on her. Her thoughts changed from blaming herself to blaming the monster. How it was Undyne's spear that killed Frisk, it was Undyne's strength that did the deed with one attack, and how even now she sounded unrepentant at best, and even glad at worst. But Chara would show her. She'd show that stupid blue monster what it meant to be sorry.

Chara stood up slowly, cradling Frisk's soul to her own chest with one hand, the other balled in a fist. "Stay away from her soul..." With a quick spin, she turned to face Undyne. The fury on the human's face was something Undyne had never seen before. And those eyes, they shone brighter than even the soul in her hand. "YOU DIRTY SISTER KILLER!" Chara lunged with those words, going for a strike with her hands against Undyne, wishing she instead had her knife. Something bubbled up from within her, something powerful, and in her balled up left hand sprang out a red light.

Undyne tried to dodge, but wasn't quick enough to fully escape the surprise attack and got hit by the light. What should've been a grazing punch instead left a deep gash in her side. Her eyes went wide as she looked down to her injury, hand going to it on instinct. Looking back up at Chara, she grew afraid at what she saw. There was no longer the normal rage in the human's face. Instead, there was a large, twisted smile, and those bright eyes looked into her own, unblinking and unwavering.

There were still tears falling from her eyes, but Chara didn't care. Nor did she know how she got what had become a bright red knife in her hand, but she wasn't going to complain. She was completely focused on one thing that she wanted more than anything else in the world, something she was determined to have at any cost.

Revenge.

"Why you little..." Undyne started, grimacing in pain. She'd have been in worse straits if it wasn't for her makeshift armor, which took most of the hit. Even still, she could tell her HP had gone down by a good chunk. Not wanting to be caught off guard again, she summoned one spear into her hands and three others above her just in time for Chara to charge at her again.

"Listen twerp, do you think I wanted to kill the other human? It was an accident." Undyne said as spears rained down upon Chara, aiming right for her. She had to dodge side to side to keep from getting hit which, along with Undyne's movement, made it hard to make any kind of headway for another attack. She was getting nowhere fast, which only frustrated the grieving girl and drove her to make a very rash decision. On her next try, she didn't fully dodge out of the way of the spears, instead going through them and trying to not get hit. It almost worked, until one spear ripped into her hip.

Undyne thought Chara would back off or slow down after taking a hit, but the attack didn't seem to faze the human who proceeded to take a stab at the fish girl, getting her in the shoulder. With a scream of "Ngahh!" she brought her fist up and smashed it right into Chara's cheek, knocking the human child off her and sending her rolling against the ground. This was nothing like the fights she usually got in, where she'd only hurt someone enough to show how strong she was. The amount of damage she was taking, even with what was essentially chain mail armor covering her, made it clear that the girl fighting her wanted her dead.

Chara didn't groan in pain as she picked herself up off the floor, still clutching Frisk's soul in her hand as her own hovered in front of her. She didn't wince as she spit out a tooth with blood dribbling down her lips. Instead, she started to laugh. Not her usual nervous laughter, nor one of joy, but it was the same kind of laughter she experienced back in the woods outside the small town that fateful night. Even so, tears flowed from her eyes like a faucet, helping to wash away some of the blood on her mouth.

"What the hell is wrong with you? We were supposed to work together to save monsters." Undyne shouted, having materialized several more spears around her, ready to unleash them in a split second. She'd never admit it, but Chara was downright scaring her. That creepy smile and maniacal laughter were so out of place compared to the tears being shed, and she had a feeling the girl wouldn't stop attacking until one of them met the same fate as Frisk. However, she'd learned she had to face her fears head on, and wasn't about to run away from a fight now.

"You...heheh...you killed...ha...one of the...heehee...only people I actu-haha-ly care for." Chara replied among fits of laughter, grip tightening on Frisk's soul. She took a step towards Undyne, the fish girl instinctively shooting a spear right at her. However, this time Chara swung her soul knife at it, blocking the blow and causing the spear to shatter into harmless magic dust which quickly disappeared. Surprised, Undyne sent more, all of which were just as easily dispatched.

Chara rushed in once the last spear was blocked, going for a stab to Undyne's gut, though the fish monster saw it coming a mile away. However, that was Chara's plan, and thus when Undyne moved to her left, Chara's right leg swung up and got her in the side. That had been one of her favorite tricks to do, which her family knew well enough, but for Undyne it was a surprise. Even though she'd dodged the blade, that kick was delivered with such hatred towards her that it hurt just as much.

"You little punk! I'll kill you and take both your souls to cross the barrier." Undyne did her best to do an intimidating pose, arms at her hips as she leered at Chara. The human was almost caught by surprise as several round blue lights lit up under her, moving out of the way just in time to dodge the spears that popped out of them. When they disappeared, more sprouted around her, making her stay on the move. However, this caused them to pop up faster, giving her less time to move out of the way. One misstep almost sent a spear through her torso, but a quick spin saved her from the worst of it, having it instead make a cut across her stomach.

All this magic use was taxing on the young monster, and she was slowing down. Her fists shook from her efforts as the spear in her hands felt heavier and heavier. She barely had time to turn so her side faced Chara as the human took a turn while she was winded and struck. She now had a deep gash in her side, but a swipe from her spear caused Chara to back off before she could attack again.

She knew she was low on hp, but Undyne stood her ground as she believed Chara was too. If she was going to save every monster and get them to the surface, she couldn't run away. "Alright, let's see how you do against this!" Undyne yelled as she conjured up over a dozen blue spears and sent them sailing towards the human, having them split up and come in from all different directions. Two of them got the girl, one in the right arm and another on her leg, making Chara double over in pain.

Chara knew she was in dire straits, hit with spears in several places and bleeding all over. Even so, she was determined to finish the fight one way or another. She checked herself, making sure she was still able to stand without her now injured leg giving out, but it either wasn't as bad as she thought or her state of mind was making her numb to a lot of pain.

Seeing her chance now that the spears were gone, Chara went on the offensive again. She quickly closed the gap between the pair and swung down, only for her attack to be blocked in turn by Undyne's spear she'd been holding. Not wasting any time and leaving herself open to a counter attack, Chara spun on her feet, bringing the knife around to the fish girl's side, only to be blocked again. She unleashed a flurry of slices, each faster and stronger than the last. "YOU...TOOK...HER...AWAY...FROM...ME!" With that last word, Chara swung as hard as she could and successfully shattered the last spear in Undyne's hands.

Time seemed to move at a snail's pace for Undyne once her main magic spear broke. She couldn't react fast enough to change anything, only watch in growing dread as that red knife drove down, the searing pain radiating from her body as it cut clean through her armor from her left shoulder to the opposite hip. All she could see was the face of her opponent, Chara's grin and red eyes dominating her vision as that insane laughter rang through her ears.

What Undyne seemed to watch happen in slow motion, Chara would have missed it had she blinked. One moment she's taking her frustrations out on Undyne's spear, the next she cuts deep into the monster. Even so, Undyne was still standing, so she backed off, waiting to see what kind of retaliation might be thrown at her.

"You...you're stronger...than I thought. Guess you're...not that much...of a wimp." Undyne said quietly, though she was loud enough for Chara to hear. "So...this is it? This is...the end?" The monster girl's eyes had closed, and Chara swore she could hear a sniffle, which almost caused her to feel something other than blinding hatred for the fish monster. Any second now, and it would end. Undyne took a big breath and...

"No." Undyne opened her eyes, the color having changed to pure black with a white pupil. "NO! I won't die! Mom...Dad...Asgore...I'll save them all from this underground hellhole!" She snapped her fingers, and instantly created a spear, then another appeared, then two more, then three. They just kept multiplying, until it seemed as though the chamber was filled with them, causing the barrier room to glow bright blue. "In the name of everyone's hopes and dreams, I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"

For the first time, Chara's smile faltered and fell, being replaced by a scowl. She knew she had to end this quickly, so she rushed in and gave it her best slash, connecting right against Undyne's midsection. She backed off, thinking that had done the trick, only to see Undyne standing there, smiling like nothing was wrong.

"Come on, is that all you've got!?" Undyne swore she was loud enough to be heard to the Core, but her full concentration was on the human in front of her. "Take this you...you demon!" With that, she snapped her fingers again, and a veritable wall of spears flew forward. To Chara, it seemed as if a giant blue hand was coming to snatch her life away.

Chara didn't stay rooted in place, eyes ahead to watch the spears while her feet became a blur, doing their best to move the girl out of harm's way. Her left arm never stopped moving, striking down spear after spear that couldn't be dodged. Still, there were so many moving so fast, there was no way she could protect herself against all of them. One would get past her defenses for every dozen that missed or were destroyed. By the time the onslaught was over, Chara was on the floor bleeding out, several spears sticking out all over.

That Chara wasn't dead yet was pure luck, but she barely had the strength now to stand, let alone fight back or stand against another attack. She looked at Frisk's soul, which had grown brighter, but her own soul with its cracked shell tethering it to her was still brighter. "I won't...give up, Frisk...I swear..." she said, wheezing raggedly. One of her lungs was punctured and several ribs broken, plus numerous holes and slices, but none had hit her soul directly, nor any organs that would instantly kill her. Not that it would help much against Undyne's next attack.

Looking up, she first saw the entrance to the room, though her vision was getting blurry. However, closer to her legs she saw what looked like shattered porcelain, recognizing it as one of the plates and cups from the kitchen in New Home. She also saw a sandwich lying on the ground, abandoned and dirty. "That was...for me...wasn't it?" She says to the red heart in her right hand, reaching out to grab the food with her left. Eating as quickly as she could, she scarffed the sandwich, dirt and all, feeling it quickly dissolve and the magic washing over her, closing wounds and patching injuries. In mere seconds, she was feeling almost as good as new.

"Pathetic. It will take more than a little healing to beat me." Undyne's smile never faltered but now Chara could see something was off. Undyne's legs and the new spear she held were shimmering, as if in a heat wave. In the time it took Chara to get up, Undyne had summoned more spears, and with another snap sent them towards the human. This time there was less than half of what there was before, and they moved slower, allowing Chara to get by with just a scrape to one leg.

Chara's knife had dissipated when she took the sandwich, and try as she might she couldn't seem to bring it back, but she knew she didn't need it. Once all the flying spears landed, she closed in on Undyne and smashed her left fist against the fish girl's cheek. It was obvious it had hurt her pretty badly, yet Undyne hardly moved save her head turning from the impact. More spears appearing made Chara move away before she could attack again.

"S-see how strong I am when I believe in myself?" Her voice faltered and her body was losing its shape, but still Undyne refused to yield. She tried to snap her fingers, but couldn't, so instead she just willed the spears forward. With what little power she had left, only about a dozen were made, and they less flew and more drifted towards the human, who easily sidestepped them all. " _If only I could have kept them in place, I would have won,"_ she thought, but it was pointless to think about the what-ifs now. She couldn't even react as Chara came in and uppercut her jaw other than to make more spears, as moving was nearly impossible now that her body's cohesion was basically gone from her shoulders down.

Seeing Undyne like this, slowly losing herself yet still fighting on, stirred something in Chara. She found her anger waning, her hatred subsiding, and her attacks became less ferocious. She still wanted to avenge Frisk but...was it worth doing this to someone? More importantly, was Undyne at fault at all? These thoughts ran through her mind as she dodged the latest slow moving spears, counting seven of them. She looked at Undyne and clenched her fist, but held back. For the first time this fight, she didn't attack when she could.

Undyne was nearly gone now, half her face shuddering from the effort of trying to stay together while also fighting. "...I won't...give up..." Her voice came more as an echo as only three blue spears appeared and lazily came from the same direction towards Chara, who just stepped to the side. With that last bit of effort, the last of Undyne's body began losing cohesion.

"Ha...ha..." Undyne sounded so far away now, even though she was right there. "Punk...Chara..." She looked at the human as best she could as her body and consciousness drifted away. "I never wanted...to hurt any of you...I just wanted...to be a hero..." As her body began to turn to dust from her feet up, she dropped her spear and held out her dissipating hand until her armor clunked to the floor.

Chara had done it. She had avenged Frisk by killing her murderer, hadn't she? Then why did she feel so bad about it? She looked at her right hand, still holding Frisk's soul. It was bright, almost as bright as her own in front of her, but she didn't know whether that was because it became brighter or hers became darker. She then looked to Frisk's body and saw what looked like a yellow star, floating motionless next to her fallen friend.

"Frisk, Chara! How was the sandwich?" Came a call from the hallway just outside. A second later, Asriel ran in, only to quickly stop in his tracks, smile fading and eyes growing large. The scene was horrific, with Undyne's armor over a pile a dust, broken fragments of the cave's rocks everywhere, and Chara covered in blood, holes in her clothes, and two souls. Looking more to the right, his eyes came upon Frisk's body, and his expression changed from shock to dread.

"F-frisk?" He called out, taking a step towards his sibling. He then noticed the dark red blood pooling around her. "Frisk!" He ran to her and sank to his knees. She was completely lifeless, eyes holding a blank stare straight ahead with a hole going through her chest. His head turned back to Chara, who was standing there with her soul out while holding another. Realization dawned on the goat boy. "Chara...what did you do? What did you do to Frisk!?"

Chara couldn't look Asriel in the eye, diverting her gaze to the floor. "It was Undyne. She took Frisk away from us..." Anything else she was going to say was cut off as a loud gasp rang out from the entrance. Standing there were Toriel and Asgore, having hurried in after hearing Asriel yell. Toriel had her hands over her muzzle, eyes filled with dread, while Asgore looked between Frisk, Chara, and the pile of dust with a grim expression.

Toriel ran to Frisk and got to her knees, hands glowing as she desperately tried to heal her while murmuring in a low tone. "Please come back, my child. Don't die on us."Asriel watched, hopeful his mother could bring his best friend back. Asgore stepped towards Chara, each step slow and heavy. He stopped in front of the child and took a moment to collect himself before he said anything. "Chara, what happened?"

Chara now cradled Frisk's soul in both hands, her own disappearing back into her chest. She couldn't look at Asgore, or any of them for that matter. She mumbled her answer, and Asgore's frown just deepened.

"I ASKED YOU WHAT HAPPENED!" He yelled, his voice booming out louder than Chara had ever heard. She jumped and looked up, startled, and saw not the gentle face she'd come to recognize, but a fierce and scowling snout filled with sharp teeth, and eyes filled with anger, confusion, and sadness. His hands trembled as he looked down at the little human girl, his rage warring with his love.

Chara was reminded of when she fell and first met Asgore, the fear she felt was the same she felt now. "U-undyne killed Frisk. I couldn't let her get away with that." Chara said, holding Frisk's soul close to her as she did. Asgore's expression didn't change, knowing there was more to the story.

"And why would she ever do something like that? She may not have been the nicest monster, but she wasn't a killer," Asgore said sternly. By this time, Toriel had stopped trying to heal Frisk's body, knowing it was useless. Instead she cradled the dead child in one arm and made her way to Chara, standing beside her, with Asriel holding her gown and crying into it.

"Because...I asked her to kill me. Frisk tried to save me, but...Undyne's spear hit her soul." Chara choked up when explaining. Everyone was shocked at the explanation, mostly on a monster actually going along with such a foolish idea. Then everyone turned to look as Asgore as he let out what sounded like a growl.

"You tried to kill yourself through another monster, and instead your actions resulted in our daughter sacrificing herself for you, and then you murder said monster for doing as you ask!" Asgore's anger had won out, his deep voice growing louder and more menacing. "I will not let such crimes go unpunished!" With that, he manifested his trident in his hands, staring down at the human until a flash of white and purple took their spot.

Looking up, he saw his wife Toriel standing in his way, similar scowl on her own features. "I will not let you harm our child, Asgore." From her free hand sprung a fireball, which she pulled back, reading herself to fling it. "What they did was horrible, and shall be punished, but not in this way. Isn't it clear they're just as grief stricken as the rest of us?"

Asriel was dumbfounded. His best friend was dead after sacrificing herself to save their other sibling who tried to kill themselves from a monster, who then went on to kill said monster, and now his parents looked like they were going into a fight over what to do. On one hand, he agreed with his dad that someone who did something so horrible should be dealt with immediately. On the other hand, despite everything, it was still Chara, his other adopted sibling. Yes they'd had their arguments and disagreements since Chara wasn't the best person, but did they really deserve what Asgore was going to do?

Chara herself looked on, dumbfounded at the sight. His adoptive mother was willing to risk her life for her, even after confessing to being the reason for two deaths. She almost wished Toriel had stayed away, thinking maybe she deserved Asgore's wrath. The shine in her eyes faded slowly, but the soul in her hand pulsed and brightened.

"I didn't want anyone else to get hurt." Chara said to herself, tearing her eyes away from the sight in front of her.

 _I wanted to save her, not make everyone hate her._

 _ **Load failed.**_

"I wish I could go back and stop this from happening."

 _I wish my power would work._

 _ **Load failed.**_

Asgore and Toriel were still exchanging words, but Chara had tuned them out as she started her usual scared laughter. Instead, she was surprised when a pair of smaller furry hands touched her. Looking up, she saw Asriel's tear-streaked face looking at her. "Why..." was all the goat boy could get out, choking on his own words. It was then Chara realized that Asriel was a crybaby not because he was weak, but because he cared, and caring wasn't a weakness. It was Chara caring for Frisk that gave her the power to beat Undyne, and made Toriel able to stand up to Asgore even for a little demon like her.

Chara felt the last of her pride shatter and collapsed to her knees, unable to laugh anymore as they turned to sobs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," was all she could say between her cries, causing even Asgore to pause and look at her. She felt empty, broken, wanting to just curl up and disappear. Then she felt her top half lifted up and a pair of arms wrap around her, Asriel pulling her into a hug. "I forgive you..." he whispered to her, his tears staining her shoulder as she did the same to his.

 _Just a little more..._

 _ **Loading...**_

Asgore's trident disappeared as he looked down, unable to look his wife in the eyes. She slowly let her hand drop, the fire petering out. She then turned around and kneeled, embracing her remaining children. "Chara, there will be severe consequences, but know that we still love you and want to help," she said. Asgore as well moved closer, but stayed a few steps away after Toriel glared at him. He tried to find something to say, but no matter what he thought of he could not find the right words. Instead, he turned to leave, shoulders still stiff and footfalls heavy.

 _Come on, it has to work..._

 _ **Loading...**_

Chara stood with her mother and friend, trembling as the events fully crashed down on her mind and body. She looked to her right hand, seeing Frisk's soul. It seemed much brighter, but that could just be her imagination. She mumbled to herself, "I don't deserve this but I will make this..."

 _This can't be it, it has to..._

 _ **File loaded.**_

"...work." Three sets of eyes looked to Frisk as she said that, before Asriel burst out giggling. "Frisk, you can't eat work. Although you can probably work at eating." Looking around, Frisk saw she was outside of New Home, next to the star at the entrance of the house. Her eyes got big as she gasped, realizing that it worked. She didn't have time to celebrate though, she had to hurry. Turning around, she bolted away, taking off on a dead sprint back to the barrier room with the others following, calling for her to stop or wait. By the time she made it, her legs were throbbing from the exertion and she was panting, but she saw both Undyne and Chara safe.

"...work," Chara said, holding a soul out if front of her. She was confused, to say the least, as one moment she was with Toriel and Asriel, and the next she was back here. Was this some nightmare where she was reliving what went wrong? Was she dieing and bleeding out, her last thoughts of her final moments?

After a minute of Chara saying nothing, Undyne looked her with a deadly serious expression. "Kid, you realize what you're asking, right? There's only one way I can take your soul, and it isn't pretty." Before either of them could do anything else though, a heavily breathing Frisk grabbed Chara's shoulder.

"Chara, you don't have to do this. You're more important to everyone than breaking the barrier. Please put your soul away." Chara could only stare in disbelief, letting her soul back into her body. "Frisk?" She asked, her hand reaching out to touch her friend, the only human she'd ever consider giving that title to. When her hand met Frisk's arm, she gasped and broke her own rule, giving Frisk a strong hug. Frisk, surprised at first, then gladly returned the gesture.

Their family watched from the doorway, all three Dreemurrs proud that Chara was learning to lower her emotional barriers. Asgore felt a little uneasy though, as if Chara had done something wrong and needed to be scolded, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. Undyne, for her part, just looked at the hugging humans, rolled her eyes, and groaned. "Ugh, stupid dorks."

 _-X-_

" **And be sure to double check..."** Gaster's hands stopped mid sentence, much to the confusion of his technician. Gaster felt an odd sense of déjà vu, as though he had signed these exact words before. **"Tell me, what do you think I was about to say?"** His hand symbols asked the technician, who shrugged. "I don't know, Doctor." **"Just take a guess,"** the tall skeleton signed. The tech tapped his chin a bit before replying, "Double check the heat shielding parameters for the magma plating?"

" **Exactly what I was going to say. Next, one of the assistants will come in here and say the Core's efficiency is down."** Just as Gaster finished his symbols, another monster walked into the lab room, chart in hand. "Dr. Gaster, the Core has shown a decrease in efficiency by over one percent. While within tolerable range, I believe a thorough check should be scheduled for the next shift."

After thanking and dismissing the second monster, Gaster turned to the technician. **"Keep working on your normal tasks, I have to go see the king urgently."** As Gaster made his was out of the room, the tech followed, rushing to keep up. "But sir, what about your son and his friend? You were supposed to work with them today." Gaster stopped briefly, pulling his white lab coat off and changing it for his normal black one. **"Tell the junior assistants that something came up and to keep working on their previous projects. They'll understand."**

With that, Gaster entered the elevator and took it up to New Home, eager for and dreadful of the discussion he was about to have. Meanwhile a short and squat skeleton and equally short and squat yellow lizard monster walked through the upper lab, eager to get working with the great Dr. Gaster, one of whom also knew him by a different title: Father.


	13. Video Monitoring

**Little bit of a different chapter here, set later in the story but taking a look at the normal current time. Let me know what you all think of the format.**

 **Dream1990: And I'm happy you're still enjoying the series.**

 **Fanfic girl of all worlds: Could maybe ask for some other skeleton shenanigans.**

 **Blackit tamer: Thanks for the kind words.**

 **OnePunchFan8: That is odd, it said something similar on my end. I dunno, guess it's just wonky. Hope this one fixes the problem.**

* * *

Everything was dark. There was no sound, no movement, no light. A seemingly endless expanse of nothing in every direction.

Suddenly, a sound!

 _Click._

 _Creak._

 _Click._

Then, light.

What was a perpetual void turned into a small shed, like the kind behind a house. Said shed had a single narrow tiled path colored purple, with greyblue walls. One wall was set back, creating a work bench with four pull out drawers beneath. Blueprints to a strange machine sat on one side. Along the far wall was a large device covered by a larger blanket, completely hiding the contents. A secret within a secret.

The source of the sounds and light gave a groan and hoisted an object they were holding higher, waddling away from the door and light switch to set the thing down on the bench. It was a television with a built-in video player, along with a small collection of vhs tapes. A bony hand wiped sweat from a bonier brow. Despite the surroundings outside being appropriately named for a cold place, the exertion was more than they were used to.

"smooth move, bonehead. almost dropped the thing. didn't realize I was that out of shape," the figure said, stretching as best they could in their light blue jacket. Not wasting more time, they took the cord from the tv and placed it into a socket by the bench, a little red light appearing on the tv to indicate it was getting power. Reaching out for the tapes next, the person checked the labels of each one.

 _Kindness Begets Kindness._

Wrong one.

 _Justice for All._

Not it.

 _Determination in Time._

Jackpot.

Placing the tape into the deck, it slid in on its own when halfway in, the tv turning on automatically. In the brief moments before the video started, the person's reflection stared back at them. Snow white complexion, wide face to match their body, two small white lights in otherwise black sockets, and a permanent grin that could look disarming or scary given the right context.

"alright. let's start at the beginning and see if we can find where things went wrong. i'll really have to knuckle down to find the solution." With that, they pressed play on the television, the room filling with the sights and sounds of people both here and not.

 _-X-_

Frisk sat on top of a medical examination chair with Dr. Crowley in front of her, checking her vitals and clacking his beak now and then. Frisk looked around as the doctor worked, eyes going over the room and its contents. One doctor doing an exam, one doctor sitting across from her and fiddling with a pen and paper, one video camera recording everyone, and various science stuff.

After a few minutes and several questions, the crow-like monster stepped away, beady eyes moving from Frisk to the tall and slender W. . "That's a clean bill of health as far as I can tell," he said, his jet black feathers contrasting with the white lab coat he wore. "I would say she needs more time in the sun, but then we all do."

" **Thank you Crowley. Now it's my turn,"** Gaster signed, the strange signals appearing from his hands as they moved. The crow monster said the words aloud, acting as translator between Gaster and Frisk now that the actual medical part was over. Instead of standing, Gaster stay seated in a way that left an unobstructed path between Frisk and the door.

" **Now Frisk, I want to first make it clear that you are not being forced to say anything. If you don't want to tell us something for any reason, you don't have to. If you want this to end, you may leave at any time. Understood?"** Once Crowley finished translating, Frisk nodded her head.

" **Very good. Let us begin then."** Gaster clicked his pen and put it to the pad, looking at Frisk. **"Please tell us about the events that transpired yesterday, and be sure to include anything that may seem out of the ordinary."**

Frisk chewed her lip a bit as she thought. She didn't know how much she could safely say. On the one hand, Gaster was probably the only person who could tell her why the LOAD ability had failed at first. On the other, if monsters knew she could turn back time, they could start to mistrust her because any she could always go back and redo things.

However, what scared her most is how everyone would react to Chara. They might not see a sad, heartbroken girl lashing out in grief, but instead see a murderous psycho that got two other people killed. She remembered thinking similarly when she first saw her now sister and felt guilty about it.

There was only one way she would find out if that's how things would play out. Thus, with a deep breath, she began.

"When me, Chara, and Asriel got home, we found out Undyne was already there and waiting for us. It was training day, and Chara was going to practice fighting with Dad first while I tried to make a magic weapon. Neither of us did very well though," she said with a shrug, legs dangling off the edge and swaying back and forth.

"When everyone was done with the first set, we were going to get some snacks since we didn't get any when we first got home. Undyne and Chara stayed behind." At that statement, Gaster made the first note in his paper. "The rest of us had sandwiches and tea. I finished first, so I was going to take some to Chara. Then..." Frisk trailed off quietly, visibly stiffening.

Gaster took a few notes, then gave a wave of his hand. **"Please, continue."**

"Then," Frisk replied, "I saw saw Undyne with her spear out about to throw it at Chara, who had her soul out. When Undyne pulled her hand back, I dropped the plate and ran in to push Chara out of the way. I saved her, but got hit by the spear myself."

Frisk shuddered as she remembered what happened. "Because I was technically running into a fight, my soul came out, and it was hit directly. It only took one hit to bring me down to zero HP."

" **And is that the point when time was reversed?"** Gaster asked, Crowley almost forgetting to translate while listening to the story.

"No," said Frisk. "I tried, but it told me 'Load Failed.' That's when Chara took my soul, to keep it from Undyne. Then she...she..." Frisk was finding it harder to breathe, not wanting to say the next part.

Gaster sat there patiently, thinking it unwise to force the human child to say anything she didn't want. **"It is alright, Frisk. You don't have to continue."**

"No! I have to tell you, but please..." She suddenly sat forward, eyes wide and pleading. "Please don't be angry. It's not her fault. She wasn't thinking straight, it was all out of anger. Don't blame her. Please don't blame her." Frisk's sudden outburst caught both doctors off guard, with Gaster at a loss for words.

"Chara was sad and angry that I was killed. Anyone would be, and she didn't think things through. She lashed out at Undyne and they fought hard. They both almost killed each other, but Chara eventually won and turned Undyne to dust. Then Asriel came, then Mom and Dad, and Dad would've attacked Chara if Mom hadn't stopped him and she was carrying my body..." Frisk's story had become just her droning on with fear and worry, getting it all out in one go.

"...then I wanted to go back more and more and kept hitting Load and eventually it worked so I went back and stopped it all from happening. So don't get mad at her, she didn't do it this time, and please don't tell anyone else cause I no longer want things to be bad for her." Frisk was out of breath by the time she stopped, looking between Gaster and Crowley as she took a deep breath.

After a moment, Gaster adjusted the collar on his shirt and signed. **"Alright, that gave us some answers, but even more questions. We'll start with the part at the end where you don't want things to be bad for Chara anymore. There was a time when you did?"**

Frisk's face had a deer-in-the headlights look at the question. "Uh...well, I..."she said in a fluster. Then she sighed and looked down at the ground. "When Chara first fell, I found her outside our house in the middle of the night. She was really dirty, had a creepy smile, was a big bully, and had a bloody knife. We had a fight where she cut me, and I stopped her by nearly popping her shoulder out."

Gaster made sure to write down notes while Frisk continued. "I thought I hated her when we first met, but now...well, she's had a hard life, like I did. I know she doesn't mean to do bad things, it's just how she had to live on the surface, and I don't blame her for it. I think we've kinda grown on each other, since we have so much in common. I can relate to her in a way I can't with anyone else in the underground."

" **Let's move on to another topic,"** Gaster said after a moment of silence between the three. **"It has long been theorized that not only can humans learn magic in the way monsters can, but that each soul type has its own unique abilities. On the surface, since there is no longer magic, these abilities also do not manifest anymore. In the underground, where magic is plentiful, these abilities could reoccur."**

"And my ability is time travel?" Frisk asked, thinking of different possibilities such powers could grant.

" **Not exactly. From what you have said, you are only able to go back in time, and though people's memories are erased, it seems there's a lingering shadow of those memories, which are perceived as feelings of familiarity."** When he saw Frisk's confused look, he gave a shrug, which was his version of a sigh. **"Put plainly, when you use your ability, people get déjà vu."**

"Oh, I get it," Frisk said, only partially getting it.

" **Now how do you know how far back to go? Are you able to choose any time, or are there set points you can return to?"**

"I use the stars," Frisk replied, gaining a quizzical look from Gaster.

" **Surely you do not mean the stars in the sky. Those cannot be seen from beneath the mountain."**

"No, not those ones. More like yellow lights that turn in place. They are only in a couple places, like in front of our houses in Home and New Home. When I touch them, I can save. I guess when I load, I go back to the last star I touched, when I last touched it." Frisk had a finger on her cheek, trying to think of how it might work.

" **And is that all that happens with the stars and these options?"** Gaster asked, still writing in his notepad.

"Well, I always feel better after touching one, like I just got a dose of healing magic. Oh, and there's the reset option that I never tried."

At the mention of reset, Gaster stopped writing and looked up, a look of shock on his bony features. **"Frisk, it is of the utmost importance that you do not, under any but the most dire circumstances, EVER use that ability."** Frisk looked at the doctor, not expecting such a sharp reply.

" **If you can only go back to the last star you touched with a LOAD, then a RESET is most likely reversing to the point of the beginning, when you first fell into the kingdom."** Frisk grimaced as she remembered the fall and the accompanying pain. **"Going back that far may have unintended consequences. Things will be different from people having a vague sense of already having done things that they may do something else. It could be something small, like choosing a different outfit, to something enormous, like changing the way someone interacts with others completely. Even several small changes can add up and create larger changes as time goes on."**

" **Not only that,"** Gaster continued, **"but even the LOAD ability should be used sparingly at best. That kind of power could seem harmless at first, like being able to undo a mistake or save a life. However, it could easily spiral into something terrible. The temptation to do something horrible, knowing you can undo it at any time, can be a great one."**

"But I wouldn't do that!" Frisk said loudly, thinking Gaster was accusing them of something. Gaster himself just nodded.

" **I believe you, Frisk. I've been keeping updated on you since you were first brought to my attention, and I have faith that you would use the abilities only when needed."** Frisk smiled brightly, happy for the compliment.

" **Thank you Frisk. You have given me more information than I initially thought you would. We will conclude this exam here, as I'm sure you're eager to rejoin your family, and I have another patient waiting."** With that, Dr. Gaster stood up and held out his hand, Frisk hopping off the exam chair and taking the proffered hand, shaking it. Crowley held open the door, letting Frisk out into the waiting room where the rest of the family was waiting, sitting on two benches opposite the door and three sinks. Gaster walked up to the camera until his head took up most of the screen.

" **That was Determination in Time, Frisk interview."**

A white bony hand went to eject the video when the screen turned blank, only to pause and retract once it flared back to life. At first glance, one might think it was either a repeat of the last video, or that the human had just changed shirts and was going through everything again. However, the watcher saw the subtle differences and recognized the human was an entirely different one.

The people on screen went through the same routine checks, albeit with the human seemingly reluctant to do so. Dr. Crowley once again gave the okay, letting Dr. Gaster take over the proceedings.

" **Now Chara, let us be clear that we are not forcing you to saying anything you do not wish to, and you do not have to stay in the room. You may leave at any time and end this, or have us move on to another question. Understood?"**

"Yeah, yeah. What's the catch?" Chara rolled her red eyes as she replied, waiting to hear about how everything she did say was going to be told to everyone, or that her silence would be seen as admissions of guilt. Instead, Gaster got up, moved to open the door, then stood aside.

" **There is no 'catch,' child. If you wish to leave now, no one will hold it against you."** While Gaster thought that was true, Chara knew better. She would never be able to look Frisk in the eyes again if she just up and left, so with a huff she just crossed her arms and looked at the corner of the floor.

" **Very well, let us begin,"** Gaster began, Crowley again acting as translator. He shut the door softly and sat back down with his notepad and pen, using one hand to sign.

" **Can you tell us about events that happened yesterday? Specifically anything that was out of the ordinary?"** The doctor then held the notepad steady with his previously free hand, ready to write down anything noteworthy.

"I went to school, came home and trained with everyone, ate dinner, then went to bed. That's it," came Chara's reply. She stubbornly refused to look at either monster so they could not see into her eyes, otherwise they might realize she was lying. Gaster wrote something short on the pad, then freed his hand.

" **And there was nothing strange? No feelings of déjà vu, no sense of having done the same thing already, nor any memories of doing something you haven't actually done?"** Chara visibly flinched at the last suggestion, indicating to Gaster that he was on the right track.

"Nope. Everything was fine. Nothing at all happened." Chara was getting more defensive, tightening her arms around herself and sinking into a lower slouch.

" **So you did not fight the young monster, Undyne, because she accidentally killed the human, Frisk?"** Gaster went straight to the point, hoping to prompt some kind of reaction from Chara. Oh boy, did he.

"No! Frisk is fine, and so is Undyne! I didn't get them killed, that never happened!" Chara yelled, head turned so she looked straight at Gaster, face turning red. Her arms had come undone, holding onto the legs of her shorts in tight fists.

" **I never said anything about you killing them,"** Gaster replied in a calm manner, though Crowley's delivery was anything but, having been startled by the human's outburst. Meanwhile, Chara's features changed from anger, to shock, back to a quieter anger.

"Of course you didn't, because it never happened. And even if I did do something like that, it was all erased so I didn't end up doing it." Chara went back to looking away from the monster doctors, though now she started having a giggling fit.

" **Hmm. Well, moving on. Have you seen a star, Chara? Not the kind in the sky, but a yellow one on the ground?"** Gaster thought it best to move on and not antagonize the child more. There were other issues to address.

Chara was silent a moment before she replied. "Once. Maybe. If...something had happened yesterday, I could've seen one just sitting there, perfectly still, just like..." she trailed off, beginning to laugh out loud as she thought of Frisk's lifeless body next to the odd star, hating how that was her go-to thing when she was nervous or afraid.

" **Did you touch it, and did anything happen?"** Gaster asked, only getting a head shake from the child while they continued laughing.

"Dr. Gaster, perhaps we should end here. She is in no condition to continue." Crowley spoke up, feathered hands starting to wring nervously.

" **You are right, Dr. Crowley. Chara, thank you for the information you've given us. We are all glad nothing out of the ordinary happened to you."** Gaster motioned to the door when he was done talking, Chara getting the message and hurrying out, the laughter fading away quickly.

"Well, Dr. Gaster, that was...quite the experience. Do you believe everything they said?" Crowley's beak clicked a few times as a nervous tic.

" **They both posses the ability to SAVE and LOAD, though only one can use it at a time it seems. As for their intentions, they are human. We can never fully trust their words nor actions. However, they have given me some ideas. I will have to brief the others first thing tomorrow. For now, nothing said here can be repeated, else it may cause monsters to panic unduly."** With that, Gaster again moved to the camera, his symbols moving over his face as he peered into the lens.

" **That was Determination in Time, Chara interview."**

 _-X-_

The figure waited a bit when the last of the tape played, letting the static of the screen mimic his own mind with all manner of thoughts running through it. Despite the blue jacket, he shuddered, bones rattling beneath the garment.

"at least that answered a few questions, but it also brought up some new ones. guess I'm on the hunt again." He let out a breath, a small cloud forming and dissipating in front of him, which was quite a feat for a skeleton, even a monster one.

"SANS! WHERE DID YOU GO, YOU LAZYBONES? THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL BE HERE SOON AND I NEED HELP WITH THE MEAL PREPARATIONS!" The manic shouting popped the squat skeleton from his thoughts. He gave a sigh, pressed power on the television, and stood up, taking a shortcut to pop up behind figure the voice came from.

"sup bro?" He said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen he and brother shared. A brother who turned around from the really tall sink, revealing his taller form and 'battle body' costume that he almost never took off underneath a 'kiss the cook' apron.

"THE NUMBER OF PLATES WE NEED, THAT'S WHAT IS UP. WHILE YOU WERE OFF LOLLYGAGGING AGAIN, I'VE BEEN PREPARING A GREAT SPAGHETTI FEAST FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY THE LIKES OF WHICH THEY'VE NEVER SEEN!" The taller skeleton made a dramatic pose as he spoke, which would have looked awesome, had it not been for the water overflowing from the sink behind him.

"that's using your noodle, pap," The shorter skeleton remarked, grinning ear to ear as his pun caused his brother to lose composure.

"SANS, THIS IS NO TIME FOR PUNS. YOU FIND ENOUGH ROOM TO SEAT EVERYONE WHILE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, COOK UP A CULINARY DELIGHT!

"sure thing, though finding that much space will be a royal pain," sans said as he shuffled off, grabbing plates and cutlery to spread along the couch and floor.

"THE ONLY ROYAL PAIN WILL BE THE ONE THE KING GIVES YOU FOR YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES AND WORK ETHIC." Papyrus retorted as fire shot out through the doorway. Sans grinned, knowing he'd have to come up with another excuse to not eat the almost edible cooking. However, he was sure he could convince two certain humans to check out some videos he found out back.


	14. Good Times

**Little time skip this chapter. We'll take a look at how everyone is adjusting and living when there's no restarted war with humans, especially when two live among them.**

 **dream1990: Glad you still do.**

 **Fanfic girl of all worlds: He certainly is, no bones about it.**

 **OnePunchFan8: Very astute, we'll just have to wait and see if something like that happens.**

 **Fall: Glad you're enjoying the story so far.**

 **F-l: Maybe you are, maybe you're not.**

"Aww, come on Dad. You used to do it all the time!" The young, white goat boy said, looking up at his tall, broad father with excitement.

"Yeah Dad, it's been a while!" Said a tan skinned human girl with eyes many thought were shut.

"I bet you could still lift all three of us with one arm!" Said a lighter skinned human girl with rosy cheeks.

"Haha, I think you're all expecting too much from your old man." Their father said, rubbing the back of his head.

A few minutes later Asgore Dreemurr, King of the Monsters, leader of the underground, was laughing and lightly flailing around his house. Asriel, his son, held onto his shoulders from behind, Frisk, his first adopted human daughter, clung to his right arm, while Chara, his second adopted human daughter, was wrapped around his left arm.

"Oh no, I being attacked. Betrayed by my own family," he said with exaggerated drama while the three kids hung on tightly to not be thrown off, their laughter ringing throughout the home. He carefully stumbled his way to the living room where his wife, Toriel Dreemurr, was reading a new book she recently acquired from a dump vendor.

"Toriel, my love! Save me," Asgore said in mock despair as he fell to his knees in front of her. Toriel put her book down, took her glasses off, and stood in front of the group.

"Mwahaha, I see my henchmen were successful in capturing you. Now I, the dreaded Toriel, will be sole ruler of monsters everywhere!" She played it up, striking a pose at the end, much to the enjoyment of the rest.

"Curses, even my own wife conspires against me. I have been defeated." With that, Asgore flopped forward onto his stomach, the children letting go as they hit the ground, all laughing at their antics. Soon, Asgore sat back up, rolling shoulders while Toriel softly rubbed them. The kids had gotten their laughter out but were still grinning ear to ear.

"See Dad, you're still the strongest monster out there." claimed Asriel, throwing up his hands in his excitement.

"Yeah, I guess I do still have it," Asgore replied, looking up at his wife and smiling, who looked down and returned the expressing. "Though I don't know how many more of those I have left in me. You're all getting so much bigger now."

Indeed they were. It had been nearly three years since the day Frisk and Chara had first learned exactly what the load ability could do. Toriel and Asgore had learned of it through Dr. Gaster, and the three had a meeting with all three children to talk about it. Both the king and queen wanted their son to be there too, both as support for the humans and because he would someday be ruler and thus would need to get used to difficult meetings and decisions.

There were many questions and shocked expressions as the story unfolded. Chara wished her power was invisibility when Frisk told the tale of her and Undyne's fight. She could tell all three of the goat monsters were horrified at the events, and relieved when Frisk was finally successful at reversing time. Her nervous tic of laughing at the worst moments kicked in, further driving the shame she felt. Frisk, who was next to her, put a hand softly on her shoulder in support.

Asriel's eyes danced to and fro as thoughts raced through his mind. He sat across from Chara and had been watching her reactions throughout the tale. As everyone waited for Chara to calm down, he instead hopped off his chair and walked around to his second sister's. Still chuckling, Chara looked over to see her brother staring her in the eyes.

In a brief exchange in looks that took a second at most, both saw all the emotions playing through the other's minds. In Chara's there were shame, sadness, guilt, and yet still some anger lingering. Asriel felt shock, betrayed, and even some fear towards his adopted sibling.

"Azzy, I..." Chara got out before being cut off by her fluffy brother practically tackling her into a hug, squeezing tightly as he knew Chara would try to get him off. However, she was too caught off guard to do more than give a grunt as he grabbed her. She could feel her mind and body telling her to push him off. She ignored it. Instead, she slowly brought her own arms down around him, giving the lightest of hugs back.

As the two parted, they again looked in each others' eyes. Asriel had a look of patience and kindness, willing to help Chara no matter how long it took. Chara felt bravery and perseverance, knowing she could get through anything as long as her family had her back.

"Thanks Azzy," Chara said, giving her brother a genuine smile.

"Chara, just please promise to not do something like that again," Asriel said, with Chara nodding.

"I promise."

She repeated promises to Toriel and Asgore to become a better person. In the following years, she learned not only from her family, but also began to listen to the other monsters as well. When they greeted her, she'd greet back. When they had something to say, she'd hear them out, and soon say something in turn. Eventually, she had even gained a few friends at school that she stuck with whenever Frisk and Asriel were busy.

All three were also growing up. Asriel was the tallest of the bunch, though Chara claimed he was cheating since his parents were giving him their soul power to fuel his growth. He had started growing horns as well, though they were still nubs barely poking through the fur on his head, and for some reason some of the fur under his eyes were starting to turn black. He still got lightly teased by Chara, who said he was using Frisk's makeup.

Frisk had, in fact, gotten into using makeup. Her collection grew little by little as she was able to find it from the junk collectors. Her wardrobe was also filling out with more dresses and skirts along with shorts and pants. This was all to Toriel's delight, as she loved helping Frisk get in touch with her feminine side, and able to use such things to bond more with her.

Chara, meanwhile, didn't deviate much from her original style. Loose fitting shorts and shirts were her usual attire, and she shunned all attempts to learn makeup. Her personality, while becoming better over time, still was more aggressive than the others. Her little shoves against friends, a dominating attitude, and a competitive streak all gained her a reputation as someone that was rough to be around, but ultimately trustworthy. Thankfully for Chara, the tale of what had happened between her and Undyne before the LOAD never got out, everyone agreeing it would be better for everyone to leave that in the past.

They were also exploring avenues to express themselves. Frisk had kept with her singing lessons and had even joined a children's choir. Some other notable members were a fish-like monster named Shyren who was also very good, but had terrible stage fright, and a pink ghost that seemed more into the dancing parts than singing named Happstablook.

Chara took her competitive nature onto the field and joined a little league soccer group. There were nearly a dozen teams, each from a different section of New Home, so they had an annual championship along with year-round matches. Despite being a newcomer, Chara showed promise, at least as long as she listened to the coach and kept her attitude in check.

Asriel found more of his otherwise off time being spent with his mother and father in learning all the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom. While day to day tasks were usually handled by mayors or other monsters, there were some decisions that had to be deferred to higher authorities, namely Asgore and Toriel. There were times where a serious crime was committed, or expansions to the city were deemed necessary, and many more things than Asriel had first thought.

The weekly sparring and magic sessions still happened, with both humans able to summon a weapon at will. Chara had the knife she used before, while Frisk had a shield and mace combo. It took more magic and concentration to create both, but it provided a way for Frisk to block blows while having a weapon designed more to stop and subdue rather than injure and kill.

By now, all three children and Undyne could give Asgore a run for his money in fighting, so he would often take the four and pair them off to watch them fight each other, giving them tips on honing their techniques as they learned to fight different types of people.

The first time Chara was paired with Undyne, the human nearly refused to fight. She relented though at the encouragement of everyone else. They went with a bare fist brawl, each trying to knock the other down. Undyne had the strength and endurance, Chara had the speed and dexterity. In the end, Undyne, learning from Asgore to conserve her strength, was able to last long enough to get a solid hit in and knock Chara to the ground.

"Ya know," Undyne said as she went over to Chara, who had picked herself up off the floor, "for a little punk, you're not half bad at fighting." She stuck her hand out to Chara, offering a handshake.

"Hmph, and you're ok for a smelly fishface," Chara said as she took Undyne's hand in her own, the two glaring at each other, before each laughed and shook hands.

Frisk and Asriel were next, and they chose a submission fight so that the first to give up would lose. Asriel had an advantage of being much more agile, able to keep away from Frisk much of the time. However, when Frisk was able to get their hands on her brother, she had all kinds of ways to try and make him give up. Asriel eventually relented, having relied too much on defense without going on the attack. After both fights, they were all getting ready to head back to New Home when Undyne stood in the center of the room and pointed to Asgore.

"Hey, old man! We're not done until we have a match! This time, be prepared to fall right on your fluffy butt!" It was the same challenge and rhetoric she said each week, so no one thought things would go any differently, but Asgore always obliged her.

The two took their standard places, with Toriel giving a countdown for the match to begin. At her mark, both Undyne and Asgore went on the move, the goat monster surprisingly agile for his size and age. With so much time spent training with him, Undyne could almost match him step for step. Almost.

"Very good Undyne, you're certainly getting better with each training session. Soon you'll be able to catch me with my guard down," Asgore commented, having taken a few blows from the spritely fish monster, but still standing.

"And by soon, you mean today. Have a taste of my new ability!" With that, Undyne swept her hand in front of her, causing a wave of green to spread out and hit Asgore. He held his arms up to block it, only to feel it do nothing to him at first. As he lowered his hands, he saw Undyne coming at him with an easily televised strong attack. The king went to dodge to the side, only to find his feet didn't want to move at all, making him stumble. The confusion gave Undyne the edge she needed, her punch connecting directly to the side of Asgore's head, the sound of her fist connecting resounding through the chamber.

Asgore fell to the side, giving Undyne her first real victory against the big guy. Ecstatic, pride, happiness at finally accomplishing her goal of taking down the King of Monsters, one of the greatest fighters in the underground. Those are all things she knew she was supposed to feel, but...there was none of those. As she looked down at Asgore's prone form, she felt just one thing.

Shame.

This monster, who had taken her in, put up with her constant remarks and attitude, who showed her that being strong in the real way wasn't about just hitting things hard, but about using her power to help others, was now lying on the floor from her attack. It didn't feel right at all. Her grin she'd had during the fight slowly faded as she looked at her fist, realizing she took no joy in what was supposed to be an accomplishment.

As Undyne thought about that, Asgore got back on his feet. To Undyne's, and everyone else's disbelief, he was smiling as though someone told him the best news ever.

"Ha ha ha! Congratulations Undyne!" Asgore said with a big hearty laugh, looking none worse for the wear. "That's quite the technique you used. When did you come up with it?"

"Oh, uh, a little while ago. I wasn't sure it was ready before today though. I first thought of it after I trained with the rest of your family the first time though. For some reason I got stuck on the idea of stopping someone from moving." Undyne told the king, with Frisk and Chara exchanging knowing looks while the rest of the family tried to not look uncomfortable.

"Well either way, it's a very useful strategy. It forces your opponent to go on the defensive and face your attacks head on. I'm proud of you." At Asgore's words, Undyne gave her best smile, beaming with pride. "However, that doesn't mean your training is complete. I can tell you can still get much better, and I look forward to seeing just how far you go."

"Yeah! You'll see, some day I'll be even greater than you, or Gerson, or any other monster ever!" Undyne declared with a fist pump, her read hair fluttering in a breeze that seemingly came from nowhere.

Things weren't perfect by any stretch. New Home was slowly but surely running out of building room, more monsters were being born faster than food could be grown, and there was a small group of monsters that wanted to take the human's souls regardless of their character. However, the royal guard kept a close and watchful eye on the two, and neither had come anywhere close to harm.

For the moment though, things were looking all right.

 _-X-_

Clawed feet splashed loudly through knee-high water, passing by mounds of garbage which had previously been sorted through. This was the Garbage Dump, a place where waterfalls flowed over plateaus, allowing accumulated riffraff from the human world above to float into the underground. While most of it was useless junk, a decent amount of stuff could be salvaged and either kept or sold. Everything from food to electronics to toys and more could come through, and some monsters that could stomach the smell made a nice living off what they could find.

Two such monsters were busy digging through a small pile they had hastily put together. Both straightened up and turned around at the sound of someone else splashing around. They both beamed as they saw who was making such a ruckus.

"Hey Alphys! It's been, like..." started the monster on the right, a tall alligator girl with blonde hair.

"...forever since you joined us," finished the monster on the left, a shorter and rounder purple cat.

"S-sorry Bratty, sorry C-Catty. I've just been so b-busy at the lab recently, and had s-some o-other friends drop by w-which made me late today," responded the even shorter yellow dinosaur monster, Alphys. Her hands tapped together nervously as she spoke, despite having known the two in front of her most her life.

"Don't worry so much. We're, like..." said Catty first.

"...so totally stoked you even made it," said Bratty, the two able to finish each other's sandwiches. And sentences usually.

"Did your other friends come?" Asked both Bratty and Catty together, eliciting a laugh from them both.

"N-no," replied the yellow monster, "one's too sh-shy to meet new people, a-and the other wanted to t-take the first home to l-look after them. I'll ask t-them next time though." Alphys said with a little smile, knowing neither of her other friends would really want to come to the dump. It was then Alphys noticed how the two others were standing, both with hands conspicuously behind their backs.

"H-hey, is there s-something behind you two?" Alphys asked, curious as to what the two could be hiding.

"Are we hiding anything, Catty?"

"I think we are, Bratty." At that, their grins widened.

"Only the most super duper..."

"...extra special..."

"...fantastic..."

"...secret..."

"...gift!" The last part they yelled together as they brought the hands closest to each other forward, both holding the same copy of what looked like a movie.

"We know how you like..." began Catty.

"...totally love those human cartoons," continued Bratty.

"so when we found this..."

"...in that pile of other stuff..."

"...we knew we, like..."

"...TOTALLY had to give it to you," they both finished together again, laughing at their own antics.

Alphys smiled, doing her best to contain herself and not launch herself straight at the pair and swipe the video away. Instead, she took the movie as graciously as she could in her claws.

"W-wow, you two are the best," she remarked as the video was given to her.

"Well, you're like a big sister to us," Bratty said, moving to hug the smaller Alphys.

"Yeah, and that's what sisters do for each other," said Catty, following suit and wrapping Alphys into a three way hug. The diminutive lizard grinned and hugged back, putting the movie into a waterproof bag she'd brought, reading the title as she slipped it inside.

"Mew Mew Kissy Cutie? I'm sure it'll be a good one."

 _-X-_

Doctor Wing Ding Gaster sat in his study at his house, pouring over research, blueprints, and various notes. For the better part of three years, he'd been working on a side project when his Core duties would allow. Now that the Core could be maintained by various workers and low level engineers, he had more time to devote to said project. However, he didn't want it to take away too much time from his family, which was the reason he was at home instead of the lab today.

Still, it was easy to lose track of time when getting into his work, and he felt he barely started when the latch to the door opened. Looking up from his desk, he saw the ever-smiling face of his oldest son, Sans. The youngster had a plate in one hand and a drink in the other.

"hey dadster, you almost missed lunch," the young skeleton said, bringing the food and drink inside.

" **Sans, you know food is not allowed in here. I also told you I'd be out in five minutes,"** the older skeleton signed with his hands and symbols.

"yeah, you said that...two hours ago. think it's time you got a new watch," Sans replied, putting emphasis on the words 'time' and watch.' Gaster looked at the clock on the wall, then shook his head.

" **I swear, if it wasn't for you two, I'd be forever lost in my work,"** Gaster replied, pushing his chair away from the desk. As he stretched to get his old bones less stiff, Sans took a look at all the paper on the desk. One in particular caught his eye.

"operation determination? sounds like one of those new types of songs being found at the dump," he tried saying casually, though his look at his father was anything but.

" **Hm, I suppose you would learn about it sooner or later,"** came Gaster's reply. **"As you know, humans have what we've dubbed 'Determination.' At it's most basic, it is the will to live. In larger amounts, it's the will to accomplish whatever you set your mind to. The more Determination a human has, the longer they'll go before giving up on something."** Sans nodded along with it all, having heard it in some form or another before.

" **Now monsters," c** ontinued Gaster, hands waving all over, **"also have Determination, but in much lesser quantities. This Operation Determination will be about looking into why humans, especially those with red souls, can have so much, as well as finding a way to siphon it off."** Sans went wide eyed at that.

"um, pops. isn't that pretty dangerous? i mean not only are you taking something from a soul, but it's the very thing that keeps them going. and how would you test it? it's not like we just have spare souls lying around to test that on." Sans kept his voice low and calm, though Gaster could see the wheels in his head turning through his body language, momentarily pondering how much his son took after him.

" **Indeed. While it would be easier with a body-less soul, I have been looking into a way to remove Determination safely from a living host. The math is...mostly sound. The execution, however, would put even the Core to shame. Determination lets humans accomplish impossible goals, so a single small problem with the operation could spell disaster the likes of which we've never seen."** Gaster was going off now, forgetting everything except the current dialogue. Many had told him he'd make a great teacher, but he wasn't ready to leave the actual lab just yet.

Sans however wanted to cut off the doom and gloom projections before they truly started.

"seems like you're pretty determined to see this through, huh?" The bad joke was just the thing needed to derail Gaster's train of thought, stopping those hands moving long enough that the older skeleton regained his senses.

" **Indeed. I will finish by saying that if this can be done, we may be able to break the barrier without the need of more humans falling into the kingdom. The logistics of removing and containing Determination still need..."** Gaster's hands stopped as the door opened yet again, this time revealing a pint sized skeleton in pajamas.

"DAD, SANS, IT'S LUNCH TIME. COME EAT!" Gaster was amazed how such a little guy could be so loud.

" **We were just on our way, Papyrus,"** Gaster signed, standing up and taking hold of his plate and cup. Sans was the last one to leave the room, thoughts running through his head of the multiple ways his father's new project could blow up in their faces.

 _-X-_

Three times.

Frisk sat in the stands with her mom, dad, and brother to watch Chara play one of her soccer matches a few days later. As they watched, Chara's team was absolutely crushing the competition, mostly because it seemed Chara knew exactly what to do each play.

Because she did.

There must have been a star by the player entrance, because Frisk counted three times that everyone watched the same game play out, but each time with better results for Chara. The last time, the second human had gotten a big foul called on her for an overly aggressive steal that left one of the opposing players hurt. This time, Chara stayed more in her own zone, but was still moving in a way that would let her defend against that player more easily.

She didn't outwardly show it, but she was really peeved. Not only because she had to watch the same exact soccer match three times, but because Chara was using her ability for something so trivial. Dr. Gaster had told them both that there could be real consequences for using their Save and Load abilities inappropriately, and Frisk was one hundred percent sure this was an inappropriate use.

 _Trying to be subtle, Chara?_ Frisk thought as the game ended 3-1 in favor of Chara's team, yet no Load happened. Frisk was sure subtlety had been thrown way out the door by now. As the kids made it off the field and back to their parents, Chara hustled over, absolutely beaming.

"So, what did you all think? I was pretty good, huh?" The rosy-cheeked girl asked, uniform all dirty.

"Splendid performance," said Toriel, out in a sun hat and flowery sundress.

"That certainly was a great game, Chara," replied Asgore, giving his daughter a pat on her back. "It's good to see you doing something so positive now."

"Yeah, you were all over the place, going from one end to the other! They could barely keep up!" An excited Asriel exclaimed, punctuating his proclamations with wild arm movements.

"You were so good, it was almost like you knew everything that was going to happen," Frisk said in a cheery voice, yet everyone could hear a tint of sarcasm.

"That's just from our training. Besides, if I knew everything that would happen, how come I couldn't stop them from scoring?" Chara replied in an equally cheery, yet defensive tone.

"Now now, you two. There's no need for that. We're here to have fun and cheer on your sister. The outcome of the match itself doesn't really matter," Asgore interjected before the two humans could start any kind of argument.

"Yeah, well, it's more fun when you're winning." Chara said as the royal family waited for the rest of the monsters to start moving so they could head home. The crowd was beginning to spread out, with the occasional greeting and small talk from monsters wanting a moment of the King or Queen's time.

A commotion behind them made them turn around, seeing the crowd parting in a path directly to them. As it got closer, the taller of the family could see that it was a Royal Guard, a large, buff rabbit that was recently recruited. Coming up to Asgore, he kneeled low.

"King Asgore, I have, like, terrible news." All the monsters around had grown silent, watching and listening. At those words, everyone went tense.

"What has happened?" The King said, standing up straight and using his official voice, despite being in shorts and a flower button up shirt.

"There's, like, a report from the old ruins of Home. It says a new human has fallen." There was a collective gasp from the gathered crowd, including from Toriel.

"How is this bad news?" Asgore asked, wondering just how much trouble a human in old Home could be.

"The report says, like, the human kidnapped several monsters, your highness. They have them hostage in the old royal home."


	15. Monster Napper

**Here you all go, the (overly)long awaited continuation. How will our human/monster family fare against a sinister monster-napping human?**

 **dream1990: Glad you do. Hope you like this one too.**

 **Finwee Lord of Long Winds: Thank you very much. Makes me happy to see people enjoying the story.**

 **Fa: Wait no longer! Hope you enjoy my little suspense endings.**

 **Snowfallinginthenight: While I'm sorry for the long wait, I'm NOT sorry for the cliff hanger. If anything, I'm now encouraged to make more. Mwahaha!**

 **OnePunchFan8: It very well could have. And thanks for the heads up.**

 **A fan of this: Thanks for the kind words. I think things with this human are going to be juuuuuust fine...**

* * *

Monsters all throughout the underground came from their homes and watched in curiosity as something went by that hadn't happened before in the underground, and few could remember happening at all. A thunderous chorus, rhythmically coming from all corners of the kingdom to converge on a single place.

The marching of the guard.

Every guard, sentry, and volunteer had been gathered together by the leaders of the royal guard. Armed, armored, and disciplined, they came together in a display of force and unity to defy a foe that not only threatened them, but all of monsterkind.

A single human.

Captain Gerson, wielding his infamous war hammer, strode out in front of the procession, and was in turn led by King Asgore and Queen Toriel, both of whom had donned proper fighting gear made of the strongest materials for battle and most mobile material for magic.

Despite the insistence of both heads of the royal house, their three children came with them. Asriel, Frisk, and Chara Dreemurr all walking along the flank. Asriel claimed he needed to see this happen, since his parents were so keen on him learning to be a leader. Reluctantly, they agreed. Chara and Frisk insisted as their ability could be invaluable for intel if things went badly and they had to load. Again, Asgore and Toriel had to admit it was a good idea, even if they were children.

"Keep in step! A sloppy marcher is a sloppy fighter!" Yelled Gerson to his men and women, as well as some stronger volunteers and mercenaries who were put into their own troop. They marched out of New Home and through Hotland, passing the lab on their way. Magic kept most of them comfortable, though a few more furry and fishy types didn't fare so well, yet none was a single step out of line. The march through waterfall went similarly, with armor drying off soon after becoming wet, though a few fire monsters were sizzling by the end.

Finally they came to the Snowdin forest plateaus, passing through the slowly growing town. The news seemed to travel faster though, as all the monsters were already out to watch the procession. In the end, the small army stopped on a narrow patch in front of a set of doors. These would lead directly into the old royal home in the ruins of Home.

"Well, your Highness, how would you like to handle this?" Gerson asked Asgore as they stopped, a few monsters making sure everyone made it. It probably wouldn't matter if one or two straggled, but it was better safe than sorry. The king was silent a moment, gathering the thoughts he'd been having the entire way.

"We cannot let them know we're here until we're sure we can overwhelm them. A single human can beat several monsters attacking together, so we need both surprise and overwhelming force. Therefore, we send a small team in to assess the situation and, if possible, lure the human to us outside. If not possible, then they need to return to tell us of how dangerous it is." Asgore said solemnly, knowing that such a strategy would be dangerous for anyone undertaking it.

"We would prefer if someone volunteered for this, but if we must choose a group, then we will," said Toriel beside him.

"I'll go," came a voice right behind them. Turning around, they all saw Frisk, hand in the air and serious look on her face. "I see what's going on in there. I saved at the last clearing, so if something happens I can come right back and warn everyone."

"You idiot, you'll get yourself killed in there," Chara piped up. "I'll go in, since I'm the better fighter, and I saved back at the soccer match so I can give more of a warning."

"Hey, I took care of you when you first came here," Frisk retorted. "I know how to handle myself in a fight. Besides, you don't make good first impressions." That hit a sore spot for Chara, who glared at her sister.

"Children, now is not the time to bicker," came Asgore's voice in a deep, commanding tone. "However, you both make a good case. If this human cannot be reasoned with by monsters, perhaps another human can get their attention, and you both are capable fighters." He put his large hands on their heads, lightly ruffling their hair. "You both should go and investigate. Frisk shall lead, while Chara takes point. If something happens, come back. If something bad happens, load to the clearing."

Both girls agreed, with some grumbling from Chara, and entered the Ruins. The old door didn't give so much as a squeak as it opened, and was quickly closed behind the pair. Both did their best to make their way quickly yet quietly through the corridors, stopping as they reached the steps. Neither one heard anything from upstairs, but both could see the lights were on. Tiptoeing up, Frisk was the first to poke her head high enough to see. Nothing was out of the ordinary, until a clang was heard coming from the living room doorway.

Chara closed her eyes and concentrated, bringing out her soul weapon just in case, while Frisk forwent hers for the time being. Both children made it up the rest of the stairs and peeked around the banister, able to see the table from where they were. On two of the chairs sat a Froggit and a Whimsum, neither one sitting in a way that let them see the humans. Frisk and Chara took the chance and moved to the wall, poking their heads out to see the rest of the living room. The other human wasn't in there, and the pair were just about to go check elsewhere, when another clang was heard in the kitchen.

"Supper time!" A voice called out from said kitchen, followed right after by the human. The two Dreemurrs looked them up and down, looking to see if they were actually being threatening or had any weapons. Long, ginger hair, dirty yet somewhat taken care of, was held back in a simple ponytail. Bright green eyes practically glowed on a freckled face. They appeared to be about the same age as the other two humans judging from their face and height. A frayed, red plaid shirt that looked too big for them covered their top, which was itself covered by an orange apron with a red heart in the middle, with splotches of possible food stains here and there. Denim jeans that were too long and held up with a tied rope covered their legs and feet, though when walking the pair could see they wore no shoes. Their hands had Toriel's cooking gloves on, one hand carrying a burnt pan while the other had a wooden spoon.

"Weren't much left, but it all seemed fresh, so I just whipped up something quick like." There was an unmistakable country drawl to their speech as they brought the pan to the table, Frisk and Chara realizing bowls and utensils had been set out already. With the spoon, the new human carefully filled the bowls in front of the Froggit and Whimsum, then another one in front of an empty chair. It looked like some sort of thick stew or soup. Once they were all served, the human sat down with the monsters.

"Aight, dig in," they said, taking the spoon sitting in front of them and preparing to eat. The Froggit didn't have the kind of hands to hold a spoon, but could hold the bowl and tilt it, almost like a cup. Whimsum couldn't do either and started to make some cries of distress.

"Aw, don't cry lil buddy. Here, lemme help," the human said, taking Whimsum's spoon and getting some of the soup in it, then holding it near them so they could get some. After that, the human took a bite themselves and chewed the vegetables in it a bit before their eyes opened wide in surprise.

"What in tarnation? That ain't right, food doesn't just...melt away like a puddle'a piss in summer." Well they have very "colorful" language, the two peeping children thought. By now, they'd seen enough, and Frisk quickly whispered to Chara to stay put while she went into the living room.

"Howdy," Frisk said after clearing her throat and getting everyone's attention. Chara stayed hidden behind the wall, magic knife in hand, waiting to see how this new human would react. Frisk meanwhile stood there in her blue dress with a single pink stripe across the chest, and a pink sash and bow on middle, smiling softly and waving to appear as friendly as possible.

"Well howdy there! Nice'ta meet ya," the new human said, standing from the table and making their way around in front of Frisk, big smile on their face, showing a couple random teeth missing. They stuck their hand out, which Frisk took in her own, and gave a few big pumps.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Frisk, and this is kind of my home." The other human's mouth made a big O before being covered by their hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean'ta barge in or nuthin. Just kinda ended up here after fallin down a big ol hole," they said, starting to look panicked.

"It's okay, I understand. That's kind of how I got here too, only the Spring Jack flowers weren't there for me," Frisk said, flinching as she remembered her own fall years ago.

"Ya mean them big yeller flowers? Was wonderin what they was doin there," the human said. Those were the only yellow flowers Frisk could tolerate anymore, since they actually helped people rather than hurt them.

"Yeah, those ones," Frisk confirmed the question. "Actually, I came back because someone said you were keeping some people here and not letting them go."

"Naw, ain't seen no one else but you, Frisk, 'cept of course these lil critters eatin," they said, using their thumb to point back to the table. "Some feller in an odd outfit tried tellin me they was monsters and wanted to take'em away, but ah told him to skedaddle or he'd get a lickin. Critters as cute as buttons like these aren't no monsters, the lil one can barely go a minute before findin somethin that'll make it cry." As if on cue, the Whimsum gave a little whimper as all the soup that had been on its spoon was gone.

"You didn't hurt them, or anything else, did you?" Frisk asked, hoping that what she'd seen so far was the norm for the new human.

"Now what kinda girl you take me fer? They ain't done nuthin to me, so I ain't done nuthin to'em. Though that other feller ran out faster'n a dog hearin his bowl bein filled." the other human gave a little laugh at that, though Frisk wasn't aware there had been a joke.

"Well, that's good to hear. I don't think you told me your name though." At that, the redhead girl gave a little gasp.

"Well shucks, sorry bout that. Name's June Willow MacNeil, named fer the time and place I was made, accordin to Pa," she said with her hands on her hips. Frisk nodded.

"June, the rest of my family is outside. Mind if I bring them in?" Frisk asked, knowing he'd have to be delicate about who he brought in and when. Of course Chara would be first, but after that he figured it would either be Asriel or Toriel.

"It's yer house. Just glad ya haven't kicked my keester to th' curb yet fer bargin in here," June replied, now growing a little worried at what this other kid's parents would think of her entering their home uninvited and eating their food.

"Sis, you can come in," Frisk said looking behind herself. June looked over to see another kid, this one in pants and a red shirt with a large white stripe across the middle, walk in. They had a large smile accentuated with rosy cheeks, and their eyes were bright red. She realized they were the same red as Frisks, which she also just realized the color of.

"Howdy, I'm Chara, Frisk's sister," Chara said, knife gone as she entered and stood next to Frisk, putting one arm around her sibling in a way one would see friends and relatives do. Frisk knew this cheeriness was an act, with Chara not trusting the new human at all yet, but June didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Howdy Chara, I'm June. Nice ta meet ya," she replied, holding her hand out to Chara, who hesitated a moment before slowly putting her hand out too, then quickly retracted her hand once June let go. By now, the Froggit had finished with their bowl, and had even helped Whimsum get its fill.

"Ribbit ribbit," it croaked out, with Whimsum nodding in agreement. June didn't get the meaning, but the other two did.

"Alright, see you two later," Frisk said, with Chara chiming in with "and be safe." With that, both monsters got off their chairs and headed towards the front door.

"Wait, where are they goin?" June asked, confused at the interaction. "Y'all could understand'em or somethin?"

"Of course. Froggit said thanks for the food, it was really good, but they needed to head home," Chara said matter-of-factly, their smile wavering a bit.

"Yer pullin my leg. He said that all with two croaks?" June asked incredulously, doubting they really could talk to the creatures. Before anyone could say anything else, Whimsum flew up to her and hovered a little ways away.

"Th-thank you, human..." it said without being able to look at her, blushing furiously and then flying away and out the door. June just stood there a bit, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle, they CAN talk," she finally replied. "And here I thought I just found some cute lil critters with no home." She then turned back to the other two humans, thinking to herself how similar they looked, even as siblings go.

"So..." Frisk started, thinking how to word the next part. "...the rest of the family would like to meet you. If you'd wait here, I'll go get them."

"And I'll wait here with you, keep you company," Chara added, when really her motive was to make sure June, if that was really her name, didn't try to run away or anything other stupid thing.

"Sure thing, sugar. I'll just clean up while you grab'em. Should prolly apolo...apoleh...say sorry fer eatin ya'lls food'n stuff too," June replied, hands folded behind her back as she looked down with some shame.

"Eh, shouldn't be a big deal," Chara said. "We should pick up some though, so come on." When she said 'we,' she really meant June clean while she 'supervised.' Meanwhile, Frisk went back down the stairs at a regular walking pace to seem nonchalant, but then sprinted once at the bottom. She opened the door to the Snowdin plateaus slowly. While she'd been with the force in front of the door, she only just realized how intimidating it actually looked.

"Frisk! Are you all right? Did anything happen? What of the other human? Are the monsters unhurt? Where is Chara?" The barrage of questions came from Toriel, Asgore, and Asriel, each adding more questions before Frisk had a chance to answer a single one. The girl held her hand up, a way to ask for silence which worked.

"Everyone is fine, no one was hurt, not even any monsters. It was just a misunderstanding, but everything should be fine now," She replied, much to the relief of everyone around.

"So you're saying we rallied the guard, got all ready for a fight, marched all the way here, and stood in the freezing cold for nothing?" Gerson asked, his hammer over his shoulders.

"Sorry Captain Gerson," Frisk said a bit meekly, only to be surprised when the old monster laughed.

"Wahaha! Are you kidding? This was great! A good way for these lazy good-for-nothings to get a taste of what real danger's like," the turtle monster said, indicating the guards behind him. "Though to be honest, I'm not sure how much more I could take. Might be about time to find a replacement," he mused to himself before turning around.

"ALRIGHT YA WHIPPERSNAPPERS! YOU HEARD THE PRINCESS! NOTHIN TO SEE HERE, SO GET A MOVING!" He yelled out, the small army of royal guards giving a salute before turning around and marching back the way they came, Gerson following to make sure they all stayed in line, leaving Frisk with his family.

"Well, I suppose that means it's time for us to meet this new human," Asgore said, mostly to himself. He led the way inside, followed by Toriel, then Frisk and Asriel.

"So what's the human like?" Asriel asked quietly, full of curiosity.

"I don't know much Azzy, I just met her. You'll see for yourself in a moment," Frisk said back in an equally hushed tone, not so much because they wanted to keep secrets, but more so they could talk without the adults butting in. Frisk told her brother what she knew as they made their way, only to move ahead once they reached the stairs.

"Let me go first so I can introduce you all. Don't want to scare her like we did with Chara." The rest of the family agreed, staying by the top of the stairs while Frisk went into the living room, where the table had been cleaned off while the sound of running water came in from the kitchen.

"June, are you ready to meet everyone else?" Frisk asked as she poked her head around the doorway to the kitchen, where said human was on a stool washing the dishes and Chara was closing the fridge, chewing something brown. Frisk frowned, knowing Chara got into the chocolate bar that was in there without permission, but wouldn't say anything.

"Hold yer horses, I'm almost done," the redhead replied, rinsing the last of the spoons, then drying her hands on the apron and hopping down. She followed Frisk back to the main room, removing the apron so as to look proper. Chara moved near the fireplace, wanting a good vantage point to see her reactions.

"First is my brother, Asriel. Asriel, this is June," Frisk said louder than normal so that the family could hear her. A moment later, a creature with white fur, black and green striped shirt and black shorts walked in. He looked at June, who looked back, both taking a bit to determine what they thought of the other.

"Uh, howdy. It's nice to mee..." He never got to finish his sentence as June let out an ear piercing screech and rushed the goat boy too quickly for anyone to react. Chara and Frisk were about to jump in to pull her away, and Toriel and Asgore nearly rushed in, but stopped when June spoke.

"OH MAH GOSH YOU ARE THE CUTEST THING I EVER DONE SEEN!" She yelled out, her hands holding Asriel's cheeks and smooshing them in circles. Asriel didn't know how to react, standing there uncomfortable yet blushing.

"Thumk yu," he managed to get out, swearing he heard muffled laughter behind him where his parents were waiting. The laughter from Frisk and Chara, however, was obvious. After a minute or so, Frisk managed to peel June away from her brother, still giggling.

"Okay, that was Asriel. Now you should meet my mother." In walked Toriel, smiling and suppressing her own laughter. The battle robe she wore was not only functional for magic use, but highly decorative too. The main dress was royal purple, with lavender accessories and patterns, and gold trim. She wore her gold crown between her horns, matching her outfit's trim. June gave a small gasp as she saw the taller monster.

"Hello child, I am Toriel Dreemurr. It is a pleasure to meet you." Her greeting was accompanied by a proper curtsy.

"June Willow MacNeil. You sure are purty, ma'm, like how pa used to say ma looked," June said, doing a crude impression of a curtsy. Toriel gave another small laugh.

"You are too kind, June." Somewhere in the back of Toriel's mind, she knew it would be hard to break the news to this human that she couldn't return to her 'pa,' but she pushed such unpleasantness aside, knowing they would deal with it when the time came.

"Now, before you meet my husband, just know that while he is large and somewhat scary looking, he's harmless. We've already had one child whom had an...incident upon first meeting him," Toriel informed June, not wanting her to be frightened on her first day.

"Yeah, Chara screamed like a baby!" Asriel said, getting a rare chance to poke fun at their second sibling. Chara didn't say anything, but did cast a glare at the direction of her brother, starting to think of ways she would get him back later.

"Honey, come on in and meet our guest," Toriel practically sung out, followed by heavy footsteps behind her. June thought she'd be ready, but the large frame of the King of Monsters caught her off guard.

"Howdy human. I am Asgore Dreemurr. It's nice to meet you," Asgore greeted her with a smile and a small bow once Toriel moved over for him. His armor was pure golden color, with black plating for his arms and legs. His own crown sat on his yellow mane between two longer horns.

"You too, sir. I'm June," came June's reply, giving a bow back. "You're much bigger than pa, and he's the biggest person I know. Course I don't know many other people."

While Asgore and June talked, Asriel had moved quickly to Frisk to keep away from June's grabby hands. Toriel, now that she wasn't concentrating on the new human, picked up a whiff of what had to be cooked food.

"June, dear. You were able to make something to eat for yourself?" Toriel asked, impressed that they could use the equipment while the other three children were still learning.

"Yes ma'm. The other two critters seemed hungry too, so I made a little supper. If I knew someone was here, I'd've made more," she said, then realized she'd just insinuated she still would've taken their food without permission. "Course, I'd asked first to see if'n it was alright," she got out hurriedly.

"June, it's fine. Our house here is open to all any time. You are in no trouble," Asgore assured the girl, alleviating the guilt she felt for taking their food. "Though we would love to see what you made and try some." At that comment, June seemed to brighten up more.

"In fact, why don't we go and make some more once I've had a chance to change? We've all had quite a tiring time getting here, so we're all rather hungry," Toriel suggested.

"And then while we eat, you can tell us how you ended up down here," Asgore chimed in.

"That sounds mighty fine. It's not fancy or nothin, but it tastes pretty good and will fill ya up," June said as she retrieved her apron and went back into the kitchen to get more ingredients. Toriel hurried to her room to change lest the new girl finish cooking without her there to supervise. Asgore followed suit to his own room at a slower pace, and the three Dreemurr children just stayed in the living room, whispering amongst themselves what they thought of the newest human addition to the underground. After a minute, Toriel emerged in a more casual grey shirt and black shorts and headed straight to the kitchen, where the sounds of cutting vegetables was could be heard.

Asgore returned soon after, sporting a loose red shirt and a pair of blue shorts, taking a seat at the table. With Asgore so close, the children had to stop their conversation, and instead decided to do a little coloring and drawing while Toriel and June finished. Before too long, both exited the kitchen, Toriel carrying bowls and spoons while June brought out a small pot of the food. There weren't enough seats for everyone, so they all decided to instead eat around the fireplace, with Asgore lighting it with his magic. That surprised June, who started to ask a million questions.

"We will be more than happy to explain it, but first we should finish eating. We would also like to hear your story, if that doesn't bother you." Asgore said, politely deflecting the questions for later.

"Ain't no bother at all, sir," replied June before digging in to her food, again being taken by surprise as it dissolved in her mouth. Everyone else didn't seem fazed by it though, so she didn't bring it up yet. It didn't take long until everyone finished.

"That was quite the meal, June. You'll have to teach me the recipe sometime," Toriel complimented. "For now, we would like to hear how you came to fall down into the home of monsterkind."

"Yes ma'm." June sat up straight, green eyes going unfocused as she thought back to the events leading up to where she was now...

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 **There you have it. Next chapter will dive into why our newest human is now in the monster kingdom, and maybe a little explanation for them about how the underground works.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Story Time

**Here's Chapter 16 after much delay. Here we learn the backstory of June, the newest human to enter the underground. If you haven't seen yet, I write what story and chapter I'm working on, as well as the current length of the chapter, on my profile. So if you want to know what I'm writing and how far along it is, you can check there.**

 **Dream1990: No, they haven't been hurt or killed yet, but who knows what will happen.**

 **OnePunchFan8: Thanks a lot!**

 **Snowfallinginthenight: You shouldn't worry at all...or maybe you should be super worried.**

 **Finwee Lord of Long Winds: Thanks, that's what I've been aiming for.**

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"Guess I should start at the beginnin," June said as she started. "Pa said he and Ma met when they was just kids, but Pa said he always knew he'd marry Ma from the first day. He grew up out in the middle of nowhere, when Ebott was just startin to grow. Well, HIS Pa took him to the little town for some errands, and it was at the store that they first met."

"Pa wasn't used to talkin to nobody much 'cept family, but Ma came right up to him and started talkin enough fer the both of'em. Her Ma came from a city a ways away, but wanted a quiet place to settle down, so Ma didn't have no friends to talk to no more. Pa got just enough words in to swap addresses with her so they could write to each other. He told me he never wanted to write as much as he did when he got home. Pa kept the letters she wrote him, but Ma couldn't." June had all five of the others listening to her story. Well, four listening with Chara pretending to.

"Fer a couple a years they went like that, writin letters and trying to see each other when his Pa took him to town. Then Pa said the worst thing to happen to a town happened to Ebott. They got a new church, but the pastor was a demon in disguise." Suddenly, Chara was also very interested in the story, sitting up straighter.

"He preached all the normal stuff, but also started callin out certain people he didn't like and turnin the town against them. Anyone who wasn't part of his church was seen as bad, and eventually Ma's Ma met a man and joined his church. Ma said twas like night'n day how her life changed. She got scolded more, had to get rid of lots of nice clothes, and had strict times she could do anything. Worst of all, they tried to make her stop writin to Pa and burned all his letters to her."

"She secretly kept writin, but couldn't do it as often, and had to pretend to not know him when he did visit. Things kept getting worse, no matter what she did. She'd often get told she'd be left at the orphanage nearby if she wasn't ladylike enough. Meanwhile, Pa's growin up at home, goin to school, though he always said he weren't very good at it."

"Ma said soon after she turned fourteen, a fella older than her own Ma started tryin'ta talk to her all the time and bein real sweet. He'd buy her nice clothes, jewelry, try to get her to go to his house for dinner, and more. She weren't likin it much so she told her Ma, but she did nothin bout it. So one Sunday after church, she asks to see the preacher man, and she tells him what's goin on."

"Turns out, that old man was good friends with the preacher, so he tried to tell Ma she was lucky he liked her when he could have any girl around. Told her she had his blessing to 'continue their relationship,' and he'd be happy to hold the marriage ceremony soon so they could 'consummate' right after. Now Ma wasn't one to lose her temper, but parently them was just the right words to do it. She had a yellin fit fore runnin out to the car." Chara felt her hands clench, remembering the old preacher she stabbed, now knowing he was always like that.

"Her Ma and Step Pa got in the car a few minutes later, looking like two mean dogs that got thrown one bone between'em. They didn't say nothin drivin back home, but once in the house hell itself came loose. That man her Ma married started shoutin at her loud as he could, getting all red faced and callin her all kinds'a awful things. She started getting scared when he picked up a chair and tossed it so hard one of the legs got stuck in the wall. When she tried to talk to her Ma, she didn't a word out of her, but instead got a hard slap cross the cheek." June was animated as she told the story, mimicking what everyone in the story was doing. When she pretended to slap herself, Frisk winced, memories of her own childhood threatening to surface.

"That was the first time Ma was ever hit by her Ma. Both then said a bunch'a horrid things to her, then they went to her room and removed everything. Ah mean EVERYTHING! All Ma had left was a blanket on the floor. She'd get an outfit in the mornin that she didn't get to pick, was brought straight home after school, wasn't allowed to have friends, and could only leave her room when dinner was done. It went on for a week, and at church the next Sunday all they talked bout was how it was a woman what tempted man to sin, they had to be modest at all times, and should listen to everything they're told. The preacher kept lookin right at her as he talked too, so everyone knew it was meant for her."

"Now Pa, he knew a little of what was happenin cause he still got a letter or two now and then, but hadn't heard nothin for a while. One day he's in the town and he sees her, and he just knew somethin was wrong. They sneak off, and she tells him everything. Oh, was he madder'n a kicked hornet nest! If Ma hadn't stopped him, he said he'd had gone and shot her Ma and Step Pa then'n there. Instead, she wanted him to help her escape and run away, and Pa agreed after calmin down some."

"It took bout a week, but Ma was able to tell her friends at school her plans and to have them tell anyone lookin fer her that they didn't know where she went, find and hide some clothes somewhere safe, and sneak outta the house to where Pa had his truck waiting. She went to his house and stayed with his family, ready with a story about how she'd moved out and wasn't goin back home, though no one ever came for her. She did get a letter from her Ma later, passed from friend to friend fore it got to her, sayin she wasn't welcome no more and was dead far as everyone cared."

"How terrible," Toriel said, face a mix of shock and sadness, "that a mother could do such a thing to their own child, whom has done nothing wrong."

"That's humans for you," Chara said darkly. Everyone was silent for a moment before Asriel spoke up.

"But what about her fath...er, pa? He and his family risked themselves to help, so not all humans still on the surface can be bad."

"Indeed so, son," Asgore replied. "Just as there are good and bad monsters, so too are there good and bad humans. You cannot judge them all off the actions of a few."

"Well, I'd say yer purty darn bad if ya tell yer own kid somethin like that. Anyway, Ma's livin with Pa'n his family, goin to a smaller school away from the town with Pa, and they get to hangin out all the time. Soon, they's goin steady and swear once they're outta school and makin enough for their own place, they'll get married."

"And that's exactly what happened! Weren't no fancy weddin or nothin, just a small country thing with Pa's side of the family. Pa had a job fixin big machines like big trucks'n tractors'n such. Ma worked at a small diner servin people at first, but she noticed they couldn't cook very well so she asked the owner if she could try one day. Weren't one complaint from nobody that day, which was rare, so they made Ma a cook instead. She also convinced them to let her make some new stuff, and people liked it cause they was gettin tired of the same thing all the time."

"They went a few years like that 'fore Ma started gettin sick in the mornin. Ain't no hospital, so they had to get a doctor from another town, but the next one was quite a ways away. When they finally get there, they examine Ma a while 'fore sayin she's fine, she's just pregnant with me! They always said they was shocked at the news cause they weren't really tryin fer a kid yet. Not much happened after till I was born, but Pa said Ma never looked happier than when she first held me."

"So that's how it was for bout eight years, me and Ma and Pa, with Pa's family now and then. 'Sides what I learned goin to school, Ma taught me to cook from a young'un, as well as how to treat people. 'Always have something cooking in case you have an unexpected guest,' she would say, and 'If you treat people nice, they're likely to do the same. If they don't, then they're not worth getting mad at." June changed her voice and accent a little when restating the lessons her mother taught her.

"Durin winter one year, Ma started gettin a nasty cough. We all thought it was just a bad cold, so none of us worried none. In spring, the cough hadn't gone away, and she was feelin tired all the time and wasn't eatin as much. Then in summer, Ma coughed into a handkerchief and saw blood. It scared me and Pa, but Ma tried to keep us calm and had Pa take her to a doctor." Her voice was getting lower, now not looking at any of the other, but staring off straight ahead, as if focusing on something far away.

"He weren't able to tell what was wrong with Ma cause he didn't have the right equipment, bein a small town doc, but he took some blood and stuff she coughed up and sent'em to a hospital far away. I'd say wait'n those three weeks fer the results was worst part, but I was always taught lyin only made things worse."

"Stage three lung cancer. I'll never forget them words, nor the reaction from Ma'n Pa. Was the first time I'd seen Pa cry as he held Ma, who was bawlin too. I didn't understand at the time, but them cryin made me cry too. The doc said Ma could go away to the hospital for treatment, but with how bad it was she weren't likely to be cured, and it'd be expensive to boot."

"Back at home, Ma and Pa talked a long time bout what to do. Pa wanted Ma to go to the hospital and get the treatment, but Ma said it was too late and too expensive, and she'd rather spend her last days with us than in a hospital bed. Ma eventually won and stayed home, but it was hard watchin her gettin worse. Gettin thinner, coughin blood, always tired and hurtin. I tried to help her and Pa, cleanin the house and makin supper and such. She'd eat a little and tell me how good it was, and give me a smile even though she was in pain." Of the listeners, Asriel was wiping away tears while Asgore sniffled, a little better able to fight them back.

"In her last days, Pa's family came and stayed round all the time. Somehow, word got out back to Ebott about Ma, and her Ma found the house and tried to visit. I was told to stay in my room and not come out till Pa said to, so I never saw her, but I heard plenty of screamin'n cussin. Dunno how long it went for, but eventually she left and never came back. Pa was shakin when I saw him and he looked angrier than a cat with a stepped-on tail."

"When she...died...Pa changed. He would stay away from home after work later and later, and when he did get back he always smelled like alcohol. He slept longer too, and was late for work so much that he got in lotsa trouble. Eventually, he stopped goin to work at all and just stayed away most of the day. I did what I could to keep things goin. I'd get the bus to school, then come home'n make somethin for supper, clean up, and just try to take care of Pa, but since he stopped workin it was hard to keep food in the house. His parents came by now'n then to check up, but he was never home. They'd bring stuff to cook though so we could keep eatin."

"One night a long time later, Pa brought a woman home that I'd never seen 'fore. I didn't like her one lick, not just cuz she wasn't Ma, but there was somethin...off 'bout her. After a while, it seemed like Pa went from ignoring everything, do bein mean bout everything. I'd get in trouble a lot, and she'd give me the most evil looks when he weren't lookin. They spent most time at home in his room, which was fine cause it meant I didn't have to deal with her."

"Eventually, they started doin somethin in the shed out back and wouldn't let me see what it was. Soon after, strangers started comin'n goin all the time and were apparently buyin somethin from the shed, cause Pa suddenly had money for stuff. Never told me what it was, just that I wasn't allowed in it. Didn't really like the looks of the folks that came by to buy stuff, but Pa would just take'em to the shed then have'em leave."

"One day, we go to town fer some food'n stuff and everything is odd. Lotta people looked worried, there was hushed talkin all round, and lots of people I ain't never seen dressed up like they're goin to church. Everyone was avoidin them people, but sometimes they'd go up to someone to talk. When I asked Pa, he told me to hush up until we're home, where I was told the preacher in Ebott was killed, and turned out he and lots of others had done some really bad things, so those new people were tryin to find everyone that was bad and punish'em, like police would. Pa was real nervous though, and seemed to get mad at me and made me promise not to tell those people what was in the shed, even though I already didn't know."

"Next day, Pa stays inside all day, lookin out the windows like someone's out there. Wouldn't let me go out neither, said someone's watchin the house. I ain't seen no one, but I did as I was told cause I didn't wanna get in trouble again. His girlfriend seemed to have left fore I got up, and he said some nasty things bout her and that she might turn'im into somethin. Soon as the sun went down, Pa told me to get in the truck cause we needed to go somewhere. Once in I saw he'd put a bunch'a clothes'n stuff in it like we'd be away a long time. When he got in, we headed away from town, more towards the mountain."

"We drove a ways, but then Pa got a scared look, cause ahead there were police and more of those people in the road. They had a couple cars stopped and were talkin to people inside'em. It looked like one was wavin at Pa and he started slowin down, but suddenly turned hard and sped up, goin round everyone on the dirt. I asked Pa what he was doin, but he just told me to shut up. When I looked back, some of the police were in their cars chasin us."

"I got scared, cause only bad people are supposed to do things like that, and I didn't think Pa was bad before. Dunno how long it went on, but next thing I knew we was goin through the forest round the mountain, dodgin trees'n stuff. Pa eventually got stuck'n told me to get out and run. I did, headin off through the trees, but when I looked back Pa had got out but one of the police cars came up and cut him off. He tried runnin the other way but I saw them jump on him and yellin at'im. I turned back and kept runnin like I was told, not wantin them to catch me and treat me like I was bad too."

"I didn't sleep at all, just kept goin all night. By the time the sun came up, I was climbin the mountain cause I didn't know where else to go, and I couldn't stop thinkin bout what had happened so I weren't payin much attention to where I was goin. I stopped a couple times to catch my breath, but still kept goin. Now, I heard tell of the stories bout how climbin the mountain makes ya disappear, but Pa always said it was just a story to scare kids. Still, I was already in a bad way, and rememberin that didn't help none either."

Eventually I found a cave near some trees on a flat part. Figured I could get some shuteye there, keep goin the next day. I thought it was really dark for some reason, but it turned out it was cause of a big ol hole. I didn't see it in time, and fell like a rock in water. Thought I was done for, but some flowers I ain't never seen before saved me. Wasn't convinced I was alive for a while though, so I lay there for a bit before getting up."

"Since ya live here, I'm sure I don't gotta tell ya what I saw on the way here, 'cept the other lil critters. First one I saw was the cryin one. It was just hoverin there round a corner, and I think I scared it cause I screamed since it surprised me. Somehow, it felt like I'd seen it before though, so I 'pologized and gave it a hug to calm it down. Took it with me, thinkin it was just some odd animal, and soon a big frog jumped in front'a me. Most girls are 'fraid of frogs, but I think they're cute, so I scooped'em up too. Lil while later, I made it to this house and no one was home, so I made somethin to eat since I hadn't had anything all day. That's perty much everythin till now."

When June finished her story, everyone took a stretch as they had been sitting for quite a while, first to eat and then to listen to the new human. After a story like that, everyone was surprised to find that not only was she not crying, but she was actually smiling.

"Thank you for telling us all of that. I can't imagine recalling such memories is pleasant," Asgore said after lowering his arms from a good stretch, eyes looking softly at June while a sad yet gentle smile graced his muzzle.

"Ain't no problem, sir," June replied. "Ma told me to always tell the truth, so I did."

"June, dear. There's no need to be so formal as to keep calling us sir or ma'am. Just Asgore or Toriel will do," Toriel said in a warm tone, no hint of admonishment or insistence. She didn't mean it as June couldn't keep saying it as she was, only that it wasn't necessary.

"Alright, Mrs. Toriel," said June, eliciting a giggle from the other three children. Toriel took it in stride though.

"In any case, from what you have said, I'm sure you are quite tired. Children, why don't you show her your old room and let her choose a bed? We can discuss everything else later," the goat monster mother instructed, prompting the other three kids to get up, followed by the new one. They led her too the first door in the hallway past the staircase, which years ago belonged to Frisk and Asriel. The two beds were still made, and old clothes and toys were right where they were left last time they were here.

June didn't want to seem picky or anything, so she just hopped onto the first bed by the door. It was quite comfortable, even more so than the one she had at home. Even just sitting on it, she could feel her body starting to relax.

"Hey June," came Chara's voice. "You said you went all night and day climbing up the mountain. When I did it years ago, it took me days to get here. How'd you do it so fast?"

"I dunno, maybe cause I'm prolly older than when you done it, so I could go faster?" June pondered after turning to look at Chara while answering her. That seemed to placate the rosy-cheeked girl.

"It's going to be so cool having another sister!" Asriel exclaimed, wrapping an around Chara and Frisk, and June swore she saw both of them blush. However, what the goat boy said clicked in her head a moment later.

"Hold yer horses...what'cha mean another sister?" Asriel looked a lil confused at first, but then a thought popped into his head.

"Oh, that is if you want to live with us. If not, I'm sure there's lots of monsters that would be happy to let you live with them too...hey!" The last word was in response to Chara smacking him in the back of the head.

"You idiot! She doesn't know! We were going to talk about it tomorrow!" Chara almost yelled, looking rather annoyed at her brother.

"Know what?" Asriel asked, completely confused.

"...About the barrier." Frisk said in a quieter tone. It took Asriel a moment to process it, but when he did his face fell.

"Oh...I, uh...kind of forgot humans didn't know of it." He rubbed the back of his head, partly in nervousness and partly because it still stung.

"What's a barrier?" June asked, confused as to what was being talked about.

"Well, might as well tell you now," Frisk began, hands subconsciously smoothing her blue dress. "There's two entrances to under the mountain that we know of. The first is the way you, and we..." she said, pointing to herself and Chara, "came here, inside that big hole in the cave. On the other side of the mountain is another entrance, which is basically a walkway out. The only problem is the barrier. It makes it so anything can get in, but nothing can get out."

"Wha...how's it do that? Ain't never heard'a nothing that could do that." June was fully alert now, thinking of what this barrier could be and the implications of it.

"It's magic," Asriel continued for his sister. "Put up by humans a long time ago to trap monsters down here. It actually covers the entire underground, so you couldn't climb back up the way you came either. It just starts at the other side, so it's more visible there."

"So, ain't nothin that can get out? I'm...stuck here?"

"Yeah, just like we are," Chara said next. "Someday, you'll see it as the best thing to ever happen to you though."

For a brief moment, a look of panic and fear crossed June's face, but then disappeared as she looked back at the trio and smiled again.

"That's perty neat, havin magic like that. I'll hafta ask about it tomorrow," she said in a seemingly happy tone. "But yer Ma was right, I am right tuckered, so I think I'll get some shuteye for now."

With a few 'goodnights,' Asriel, Frisk, and Chara left the room and headed back to the living room, where another conversation was going on.

"That sounds more than fair, fluffybuns," they heard Toriel say.

"Glad you agree, my queenie-weenie," Asgore said next, and coming into the room they saw the two older monsters nose nuzzling.

"Mom, Dad, ew! Not in front of us!" Asriel cried out in embarrassment. His parents just laughed, gave one more small nuzzle, then turned to the children.

"I know it's early, but your Mother and I have a plan for sleeping tonight. One of you will sleep in the room with June, two of you will share Tori's bed, and Tori will sleep with me," Asgore gave them the short version, leaving it up to the kids who would sleep where.

"I'm with Frisk!"

"I call Frisk!"

Asriel and Chara called those out at the same time, only for both to look at each other, first in surprise, then in annoyance.

"She was my sis first, and we've slept together lots already, so I should be the one to share a bed with her," Asriel stated, believing that was enough to convince everyone.

"But I'm a human, so it's less weird to share a bed with me. Plus like you said, you've done that plenty, so I haven't had as much sharing as you. Therefore, I should share Mom's bed with Frisk." Chara retorted. Frisk had backed away from them, embarrassed that they were arguing over her, but somewhere deep down also flattered. However, she wouldn't let this continue to get any worse.

"I'll sleep in the room with June," Frisk stated in a tone that meant the decision was final. Both her adopted siblings looked at her in surprise at first, with Chara's mood changing to grumpiness while Asriel's morphed to disappointment as they realized that meant they had to share the bed together.

"That...is certainly one way to settle it," Toriel remarked. "There is still some time before bed, so what would you all like to do until then?" She asked, trying to get the kid's spirits back up.

In the other room, if one put their ear to the door, they would've heard the distinct sound of muffled sobbing. In the dark and all alone, June finally let her emotions go. After everything she'd been through the last few days, then reliving it through her story, then being told she'd never be able to see her father again, she was devastated. However, she'd maintained a smile for much of the time in the underground, following the second most important lesson her mother taught her after 'Be kind to everyone.'

"Be strong. Never let them see you without a smile."

* * *

 **One more thing I wanted to save for the end here.**

 **I really struggled with this chapter, not because I didn't enjoy it. Quite the opposite. Instead, I don't really have a direction for the story itself anymore. I had intended initially to write only a few chapters based on a couple ideas I had, mostly Frisk falling first and them having a similar experience to Chara, and then Chara falling and trying a new plan. For everything else I've kind of been winging it, and while it's worked so far I don't want to keep doing that. I also don't want to put the story on hiatus or anything either, so while I figure out the rest of the story, I'll rewrite the first, and maybe second, chapter while also writing more Omega Child chapters. I apologize in advance, but I think it'll help the story more in the end.**


	17. Summer Vacation

**I'm back! Hope you're ready for some fun underground, cause all the kids sure are. Also, thank you to everyone's kind words last time, I never forgot them or this story, and am happy to return.**

 **Finwee Lord of Long Winds: Thanks, glad you think so.**

 **DragonCrusader: Yeah, was beginning to plan a longer narrative around then, since all my original ideas had already been done. It will go somewhere, just might be a slow burn.**

 **GiratinaBeelezemonblaster369: Thanks for reading, and I already have a couple male humans in mind. They'll start coming soon.**

 **Goofy Goober: Thanks for the suggestions! Looking back on that chapter (and others) I did do some slight retcons, and even made the first couple chapters longer. The future is now more open, and I'll take full advantage of it.**

* * *

The underground was many things. It was located inside a mountain, which made it pretty neat. It had several kinds of climates inside, which made it unique. It had the Kingdom of Monsters, which was more than surprising. It had a barrier keeping everything in it, which made it depressing. There was something the underground didn't have though.

Everything else.

June Willow MacNeil let out an involuntary sigh as she recalled everything she had on the surface. Sure, she could find some of the things in the underground, if she was lucky. Posters, books, an old heavy tv like she saw at her gramma's place when Pa took her over; things like that weren't too hard to get. What she couldn't find were things she had taken for granted before.

Sunshine.

Random breezes.

People of all sorts who were different, but also the same.

Yes, there were 'people.' She wouldn't call the monsters inhabiting the underground anything else. They weren't human, though, which when she really thought about it was a no brainer. However, that meant anyone new she met was totally different from her in pretty much every conceivable way. On the surface, there might have been good and bad humans, but they were humans nonetheless, with human faces and emotions and reactions. Now under Mt. Ebbot, she had no idea what any particular monster would say or do.

That didn't mean there were no other humans around. Frisk and her 'sister' Chara, the first two to officially greet her, were also the only others like herself down below the mountain. She'd taken to Frisk pretty easily, the other girl being rather pleasant. The first human to fall, Frisk had survived some pretty horrible stuff on the surface, which made their current demeanor all the more surprising. She seemed just as comfortable in shorts or pants and baggy shirts as she did in dresses and skirts. She also wasn't afraid to get her hands, or the rest of herself, dirty when things needed to get done, which June found admirable.

Chara, on the other hand, had taken a little longer to get comfortable around. A true tomboy with a disdain for anything even resembling girly, she had a brash attitude that she seemed to barely keep in check, and often didn't. She'd push and bend rules to see what she could get away with and how bad the punishments would be, and wasn't afraid to let everyone know it was her. She never really talked about her past, but June quickly learned about Chara's aversion to unexpected touching. She was usually kept in line by the rest of her family, and for a while that's all June thought there was to her.

Then there was Asriel, the young prince. He seemed so naive that June thought he might be a bit of a pushover at first. While it was true he did take the light teasing Chara gave in stride, he seemed to have learned a few good comebacks and was often backed up by Frisk if things went too far. That's not to say they would gang up on Chara, but more Frisk would try to defuse the situation next to Asriel since Chara would usually be the one to start the trouble in the first place. However, both Asriel and Chara seemed to always listen to Frisk, and June couldn't help notice how clingy Asriel seemed to be with the always squinting human, and how much calmer Chara was around her.

It had been some months after she'd fallen and was taken in by Asgore and Toriel, whom June learned were actually the king and queen of monsters. They offered to officially adopt her, but the newest human declined, stating she already had a family waiting for her. She of course did everything she could to get through the barrier, spending a solid week trying to come up with ways to get past, though the old magic held strong as ever.

When June first learned monsters could use magic, she was amazed. When she learned Frisk and Chara could as well, she was awe struck. It was like something from a fairy tale of people using magic to fight off monsters, only now they were learning magic from monsters instead. She couldn't wait to see what her own magic weapon was, and wondered if there was more she could do. The first two humans made sure to keep their own extra ability secret, just saying they hadn't found anything yet.

While she participated in learning to summon her own magic, June didn't really go for the fight training. Instead, she preferred going to the kitchen and, together with Toriel, learning new recipes and working on her cooking skills. While her Ma had taught her some, this was the first time she really had someone there with her showing her how a kitchen fully worked. Of course, since Toriel cooked with fire magic, June had to learn how to use the stove and oven on her own, but after getting her hands on a cookbook or two she started getting the settings down.

There was talk about expanding the house in New Home, as four beds in the kid's room, plus places for their clothes and belongings, was really crowding them. Plus, Asgore and Toriel began to think Asriel was at a point where it would be better for him to not share a room with a bunch of girls. The logistics of the expansion were hammered out eventually, and work had begun on making a new, larger room for the girls.

Everyone saw June as the ever helpful, happy-go-lucky one of the group. She always had a smile on her face and would drop everything to assist someone whenever they asked. When alone, however, her smile disappeared, and she could drop the public facade. She felt alone and afraid, having no family for the first time in her life, wondering what they were all doing.

Where they still looking for her?

What became of her father?

Was there any way to escape?

She'd learned the legend that seven humans created the barrier, and the strength of seven human souls could break it, but there had to be something else. She didn't want to destroy the magic, just get through it. However, so far she'd found no more information on it, so for the moment she resigned herself to living as best she could underground. This was becoming harder and harder for her though, as she didn't share her thoughts or feelings with anyone else, just telling others she was fine and giving them a smile.

By this time, she'd seen pretty much all of New Home, and with a long break coming up in school she wanted to explore other places she'd been through on the way to the castle. Normally Asgore and Toriel would have been elated to go on the trip, but with renovations going on and other issues with their court, they left it up to the royal guard to escort her. The other three Dreemurrs decided to go along with her as well, glad to get out of the main city. Thus they all packed what they needed, planning to spend as much time as they could out and about and finish off the rest of classes before the break.

"So where do you want to go first, June?" Asriel asked, knowing they could quickly get to any place in the kingdom using the elevator going from New Home, through the Core, and into Hotland, followed by a trip with the Riverperson. All four were sitting around the table going over a map of the underground.

"Iunno, just thought bout goin from one end t'the other, checkin out anything that caught my eye," June replied, reading the names of places along the routes as her finger lazily moved over the paper. "Ma always said it ain't the destination, but the journey, so ya gotta take it slow and look all round."

"That's all well and good, but we'll need to have somewhat of an idea of where we're going and when so we have places to rest," responded Chara. "Unless you like sleeping on dirt, snow, and mud."

"Ain't the first time ah done that. Find a cool shady tree in summer, lean 'gainst it to rest up, and end up nappin a good couple hours away," June said with a small smile and far away look, forgetting where she was for a moment. With a blink and a sigh, she set her sights back to the map.

"Well," Frisk spoke up, "there's an apartment complex just outside the core where most of the workers live. Their children come here to school, so it's not a long journey since the all the puzzles and such aren't active anymore. If we're not tired then we could just head right to Hotlands after and explore, and Dr. Gaster's lab is there in case it gets too hot."

"Ah bet there's places no one ain't been fer a long time in the Core. Maybe we could get there if some'a them puzzles were turned on." June pounded her fist into her other palm as she said such, grinning at the thought of a little adventure.

"Um, the pathways are modular. They could just be changed around to gain access to all the areas, no need to turn on the traps." Asriel said, taking June's thunder. "Besides, some of them are kind of dangerous."

"And we could just get a full tour. We ARE the royal children after all, we could just say we need to check it all out so we know how the kingdom runs." Frisk chimed in, giving a practical and boring solution.

"Aw, the little babies afraid? What's the point of exploring if everything is just shown to us? There's supposed to be mystery, discovery, and danger, but you two want it to be a glorified museum tour," Chara ranted at Frisk and Asriel, her voice rising. Before she could continue though, she felt a hand on her head rubbing softly and a soft voice behind her.

"Chara, child, please use your inside voice. I'm sure they can hear you just fine." Everyone looked up to see Toriel in her royal vestments, having just returned from the throne room. "And what is this I am hearing about danger?" Chara rolled her eyes from being admonished, shaking her head to get her mom's hand off.

"Just lookin over the map and plannin the trip out, Mrs. Toriel," June replied. "Thinkin since the Core is the closest, we'd start there'n work our way out. We was just disagreein on the best way to see the whole Core. Me'n Chara wanted to check things out mostly ourselves with the puzzles on, while Frisk and Asriel want'a be escorted through it all."

"Oh, that sounds like quite the conundrum," Toriel said, hand on her face and finger tapping her snout as she tried to think of a solution. She got a smile across her muzzle as an idea came to her. "Children, why don't we compromise? We'll ask Dr. Gaster to escort you, while having all the areas accessible and the less dangerous puzzles reactivated. That way, you get to have some adventure while ensuring your safety."

The four children looked at each other, all sporting the same emotion splayed across their faces. It was one that conveyed they weren't really happy with the decision, but knew it was probably the best they were going to get. They all reluctantly agreed to it, with Chara asking for the chance to do every puzzle just to see how hard they could be. Toriel made no promises, but would leave that matter to Gaster.

 _-X-_

Dr. Gaster sat in his office in the True Lab, going over all the schematics and formulas that littered his desk. For the longest while now, he'd been spending more and more time on his own, having become heavily invested in his newest project. He rarely 'spoke' to others anymore besides some bare greetings, and more than once had his son Sans force him to leave work and return home for the night.

He had decided to split the project into three phases. First would be figuring out how to extract the Determination from a living human as safely and painlessly as possible, and storing it. He was relatively sure that he had succeeded, but had yet to build the device and test it out. Second was discovering as many properties of Determination as he could. This would let him know if phase three was possible, which was extracting enough Determination to destroy the barrier without the need to kill a human and take their soul.

A knock on his door interrupted his concentration, followed by one of the research staff opening it. Between the light behind the door, and Gaster's room being dark except for the desk, the monster's front was cast in shadow, yet Gaster knew him well. He was sure this researcher would follow him in any endeavor, along with a few others in under his employ.

"Sir, we just got a call from the queen. She, uh, wants to know if you would escort the royal children as they explore the, um...the Core in a few days." It was obvious the monster was nervous between his speech and his hand rubbing the back of his head. He knew anything the doctor was working on had to be big, since the last time he got like this was when designed the Core.

"That...will not be possible. Put junior Alphys on it, she can read the schematics of it better than all but myself." Gaster replied. As the monster turned to leave, the royal scientist quickly signed some more. "Oh, and send my son in. There are some equations he would be most helpful with." The monster nodded, heading back out to inform the two younger monsters of their duties and the queen that while Gaster would not be available, the children would still be in good hands.

 _-X-_

The streets of new home were busier than usual, as all the schools had a small break in classes. Most children were doing what children do: running around, playing with friends, getting into mischief. However, four kids were getting ready for something a little different. They were going on an adventure!

Asriel, Frisk, Chara, and June were all packed up and ready to go, each wearing a larger-than-normal backpack to accommodate two sets of clothes, money, and plenty of snacks and drinks for their explorations. June also had some first aid supplies, just in case. Now, map in hand, Frisk led the other children out of the house, each waving goodbye to Toriel and Asgore in turn.

"On to the Core!" Said Frisk in a loud and excited tone, looking forward to going off through the underground. Even being there for so long, she'd never gone off without at least one of her parents with her, and thus was looking forward to having some freedom and independence. Asriel was right by her step for step.

"Yeah, we're going to have a grand adventure!" His exclaimed, his enthusiasm infectious enough to make even Chara smile. He held onto Frisk's hand, their arms swinging in tandem. This was also his first time going off without one parent or another, and though a small part of him was worried, he was sure everything would be fine since they were all together.

"Let's hope so. Don't want it to be boring from being babied by everyone," replied Chara, walking right behind the other two. She too was looking forward to not being smothered by Toriel and Asgore's attention, even though the royal guard would still be around now and then. They were also very well known through the underground, so they couldn't do whatever they wanted without it getting back to the two parental monsters, but some time away would be nice. Her smile faded a little seeing Frisk and Asriel clasping hands, but didn't let it affect her enthusiasm.

"Heck yea, bout time ah got ta see the rest'a the place. New Home's nice'n all, but ah ain't had a chance'ta properly stretch mah legs since gettin here." To emphasize her point, June stretched out all over, some of the pops and cracks of her joints loud enough to be heard by the others. "Figure it ain't gonna be like when explorin around mah home, cause we cain't just go any which way, but better'n nothin."

All three were dressed in clothes suited for hot to mild climates, shorts and tee shirts with breathable but closed shoes. Their packs held warmer clothes for the snow plateaus surrounding the village of Snowdin, as well as another set of shorts and shirts. They all still needed to wear striped shirts, and thus decided to go in all different colors. Frisk's was white with a red stripe around the belly and a green stripe across the chest, while their favorite blue sweater with pink stripes was in their backpack. Chara went with an orange shirt with a large yellow stripe. Asriel had forgone their normal green and yellow shirt for a black shirt with two thin red stripes, and June had a shirt with equal black and white stripes all over.

"So, we're starting from the end of the Core, going throughout the top level, then working our way down until we get to the Lab, right?" Frisk asked, looking back to direct the question to Chara and June.

"Yeah, that was the plan," replied Chara. "And no shortcuts unless absolutely necessary. We have to see everything." As they were talking, the children were passing the elevator door they would normally use to get to New Home when the doors slid open. Out scurried a yellow lizard monster a little smaller than the four kids, muttering to herself and wringing her hands.

"I c-can't believe I was late. Dr. G-Gaster will be so mad if I don't g-get there soon." Somehow, the monster almost completely missed seeing the children as she turned to head towards the royal house. She finally noticed them when she almost ran right into Chara, letting out a squeak of surprise as she stepped back.

"Oh, s-sorry. I was in a hurry and..." Her voice trailed off as she looked around, finding four sets of eyes on her, each wearing a striped shirt, same as her under her lab coat. The fact that three of them were human made her quickly realize who she almost barreled into.

"Oh my gosh! I d-didn't realize it was you, your m-majesties," she hastily gave a curtsy as she said that, doing her best to give a proper greeting to the prince and adopted princesses, as well as June who was basically a princess in all but name. "I'm Junior Researcher A-Alphys. I was t-tasked with escorting you through the Core." All four kids were a little embarrassed by Alphys' greeting, preferring to just be told hello like the rest of the people.

"Dr. Alphys, you don't have to be so formal. Just treat us like anyone else," said Asriel, giving his best disarming smile. The rest agreed, giving nods and 'yeah's.

"Alright, and I'm not a doctor, at least not until I become a f-full adult in a c-couple years," Alphys replied, then went silent. There were a couple uncomfortable seconds where no one was sure what to say before the lizard monster spoke again.

"The Queen said you wanted an adventure. So...I, uh...had the builders rearrange t-the Core, and turned all the t-traps back on through, uh, Hot...Hotlands," she stuttered out. "I-If you want, you could s-start at the lab and go through t-the whole thing."

"Well, we were planning on going from the top and..." Frisk started, only to be swiftly interrupted by another, louder voice.

"Heck yeah! Finally, someone gets it!" It was none other than Chara, their outcry startling the poor monster girl. "Ok, change of plans. We go through Hotlands, rest up at the apartments a bit, then go through the Core."

"I don't know. Won't the traps be a little too dangerous?" Asriel asked, remembering something about the defenses Gaster said he put in.

"D-Don't worry. I'll monitor you f-from the lab, and can call you w-whenever you might need help," Alphys piped up, giving a smile that belied her nervousness. All the kids looked at each other, a silent conversation happening on whether to go with the new plan or not. Eventually, Frisk shrugged and Asriel nodded, Chara giving a small fist pump.

"Ah guess we're goin with yer suggestion, Alphys. Gotta say, ahm right lookin forward to it," June said as they all crowded into the elevator, about to officially start their grand tour of the underground.


End file.
